A Happy Birthday
by bluegirl-783
Summary: Clarisse's birthday is coming up and while she doesn't want a party, Mia, Joseph, Charlotte and Pierre decide to plan one anyway; along the way, this leads to memories of other birthdays...
1. An Approaching Birthday

_A/N: A light and fluffy story about birthdays... let's see where we go with this!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"So, Grandma, what are we going to do for your birthday?" Mia suddenly burst out over the dinner table, and Clarisse gave a start before she quickly gathered her thoughts- the question had been unexpected so she didn't know exactly how to respond, although she was aware that Mia and everyone else (in being Nicholas, Charlotte, Pierre, the Motezes and Joseph) at the table were waiting for an answer.

"I'm actually quite happy not to have anything special organized for my birthday," she said after a moment, hoping that was the end of it.

"Come on, Grandam, surely there's something you want to do!"

"Maybe a dinner with a few friends?"

"No! Come on, we HAVE to celebrate your big day!"

"Big day?" Clarisse echoed weakly- this conversation was getting further along than she had expected.

"Your BIRTHDAY," Mia said with a touch of impatience. "Seriously, we can't ignore your day! Let's have a party- we've still got almost three weeks to organize it and if you can organize a wedding and coronation within a month, I can organize a birthday party!"

Clarisse couldn't help but smile- Mia had always been amazingly persistent, one of her most endearing qualities, and while she did appreciate Mia's thoughts for her, she was looking forward to a very low key birthday- after so many years of balls and expensive presents (although Rupert's never meant as much as the boys), she was content to have dinner with a few friends.

"Thank you dear, that's a very sweet thought, but I'm more than content to have a simple dinner... Mia," she continued after a moment, seeing that Mia wasn't giving up without a fight- again, another endearing trait and one she also had inherited from her father. "I've had all of the balls and celebrations over the years, and I'm just happy to have a quiet simple birthday this year, and possibly from now on... so, Sheila, how are your roses?" and it was made abundantly clear, from the distinct change in subject, that Clarisse considered the matter closed.

Joseph knew why Clarisse felt like she did- her reasoning that she had had attended so many balls in her lifetime made sense, as well as her longing for a simpler life- but he could see that Mia was genuinely disappointed in her grandmother's decision and that she had wanted to do something special for her for her birthday.

It was that realization (and his secret desire to give Clarisse a surprise party- after all, it was their first celebratory occasion since they were married and he would be able to stand at her side, rather than pretend that he wasn't in love with her) that made him move towards Mia, who was talking to Charlotte, after dinner, while Clarisse had moved away with Sheila, still talking gardening, and said simply:

"Do it."

"Hmm?" Mia sounded distracted as she turned away from her conversation with Charlotte, having almost completely forgotten about her earlier suggestion. "Joe? What are you talking about?"

"You SHOULD do something for your grandmother for her birthday- so do it, plan a party."

"Really?" her face lit up.

"Really," he affirmed. "Only, I have a little piece of advice for you- don't make it an enormous party- she is quite shy and she has been to so many of them over the years..."

"Of course, it wasnt going to be a big party anyway," Mia amended quickly. "Will you be able to help me? Charlotte?"

"I'll have time to help," Charlotte said quickly. "And I'm sure Pierre will be able to help too."

"As will I," Joe added. "I'm sure Sebastian and Sheila could help out too... although we are definitely going to have to make sure that Clarisse doesn't suspect a thing."

"_That_ should be easy," Mia said confidently before giving Charlotte a sidelong glance. "For me, anyway, and Charlotte... although according to Grandma, she isn't good at lying," she finished with a giggle and Charlotte's face flushed slightly.

"I can assure you that I will not say anything about this!" she half protested and Mia only chuckled.

"I know that, Charlotte, I just couldn't resist teasing you... I'm more worried about Joe..." she trailed off as she gave Joseph a meaningful smile and he grinned.

"Don't you worry about ME, _Your Majesty_," he strongly emphasized her title, although his eyes were twinkling mischieviously. "My wife won't hear a thing from me!"

"Hear anything about what?" came a voice from behind Joseph and he turned to see Clarisse standing there, having finished her conversation with Sheila. "Have I missed something here?" her eyes took in the three of them standing together, and Joe suddenly realized that this might be harder to pull off than expected... she hadn't been Queen of a country for nothing- she had always been sharp and alert...

"No Grandma," Mia said easily. "We were just just talking about something that happened in parliament the other day, about a certain gentleman that was trying to insult me but I didn't let him, and we didn't want you to hear it because..."

"It's alright, darling, I know you are more than able to handle anything those men throw at you," she was now distracted and the three of them let out inaudible sighs of relief as she moved over to talk to Pierre- hopefully, with some assistance, this would all work out in the end...


	2. Plans

_A/N: Thank you to all my readers and reviewers- this is definitely a light and fluffy story but maybe some drama (only a tiny bit) and definitely a lot of fun!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"What WERE you, Mia and Charlotte talking about after dinner?" Clarisse asked mildly later that evening as they headed back towards their suite, the rest of the group having split up to different things within the palace (the exceptions being the Motezes, who had gone home).

It had been an enjoyable evening (as it usually was when the occasion was limited to family and close friends) and Clarisse hoped these evenings would become a regular occurrence, especially now that Pierre was home and was seeing Charlotte, who was now in parliament, thanks to one of Mia's new initiatives.

At the thought of Mia and Charlotte, Clarisse refocused her attention back on Joseph, who had yet to answer her question as he followed her into the suite and moved past her to head towards the bedroom.

"Joseph?" she said after a moment.

"Hmm?" he turned in the doorway of the bedroom. "Yes, dear?"

"WHAT were you, Mia and Charlotte talking about before?" she repeated as she walked slowly towards him.

"What Mia said before," Joe shrugged casually.- he knew that she wouldn't leave this alone, but he didn't necessarily blame her for being suspicious, given her history with Rupert. "Lord Fricker was insulting her and she told him off quick smart."

"Why didn't she say something to me earlier?"

"She was a little afraid to tell you because she thought you would disapprove and she didn't want to let you down."

"Oh," Clarisse sounded disappointed- she had been certain that something had been going on between them (they had looked as though they had been huddling together), but Joseph had just confirmed that Mia's story was true, not that she doubted either of them (although Joseph only lied to her for the sake of her safety). "Well, I wouldn't have been disappointed in her- in fact, I would have been very supportive, as I was before."

"So now you know what we were talking about," Joe said calmly- he should have known that she would still be suspicious, but he could handle it.

"Actually... I'm very impressed that is standing up for herself- it took me years to have the confidence to do that," Clarisse said with a sigh, sinking onto the edge of the bed and kicking off her heels, and while Joseph was relieved that she hadn't pursued the other subject, he was now feeling guilyt that she was suddenly depressed and now questioning her own abilities over a story that had been made up.

"Hey, " he began as he joined her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Don't compare yourself and Mia- you are two completely different women from two very different eras with different skills to offer the country, and while it's fantastic that Mia has the confidence to stand up to parliament NOW, you are still a very formidable woman."

"Formidable? That means I'm cold!"

"We both know you are not that, but you have definitely developed a persona that lets most people know- particularly parliament- that you are not to be messed with, which is a good thing as I know that you are well liked and well respected... and, to me you are an absolutely amazing woman!"

"Really?" she sounded almost timid and again, for about the fiftieth time, it shocked him to realize that the most powerful woman in Genovia had low self esteem- thanks mainly to Rupert.

"Really," he affirmed as she turned towards him with a radiant smile. "I'm very, very happy that you're my wife."

"I'M very, very glad that I'm your wife too," she said almost coyly before he leaned over and kissed her, driving all thoughts from her mind.

0

Two mornings later, Clarisse was dismayed to discover that she had a meeting and lunch with the ambassador to Spain, and she apologized profusely to Joseph upon discovering that- they had made plans for lunch out in the country and she had been looking forward to it- despite being officially off the throne, she still had an almost full schedule of meetings and she felt that she barely saw her husband, not that he held it against her.

"I'm sorry, darling, I know that we were going to have lunch together, but..."

"It's fine," he said calmly as he watched her step into her high heels and hurry over to her desk for her diary, a pen and a folder full of important papers.

"Still..."

"Sweetheart, it's truly fine," he emphasized the last words strongly as he walked over to where she was standing and rested his hand on her shoulders. "We still have plenty of time to spend together, and this meeting is much more important than lunch with me."

"Not to me!" she protested heatedly before touching his cheek. "Believe me, I would much rather be having lunch with you- outside the palace- than having lunch with an official."

"I know, but it's fine..."

"What are you planning on doing in my absence?"

"I hadn't really thought about it..." he trailed off, although he had thought that it was the perfect time to see Mia to start planning this party- time was of the essence. "Maybe I'll go and see if Scott needs any help, or finish that book I've been trying to finish for ages..."

"Are you saying I'm a distraction?" she raised an eyebrow and he laughed as he kissed her cheek.

"Definitely not... but," he quickly glanced at his watch. "You had better go, you can't be late..." as he gently pushed her towards the door. "Have fun!"

"Thank you," she turned to scowl at him before her expression softened. "I will see you later, though!"

0

As soon as he was sure that she was locked into her study- and he had watched from the security room, ensuring that she, the ambassador and Charlotte (who was helping Clarisse out on occasion) disappeared into her study- before Joe made his way down towards Mia's study, where he discovered Mia and Pierre deep in conversation.

They both stopped the instant he stepped into the room, but both visibly relaxed seconds later when they realized that Clarisse hadn't followed Joe in, something he couldn't resist teasing them about.

"Wow, you look very pleased to see me."

"Sorry Joe, we thought that Mother was going to come in after you,"Pierre said apologetically.

"No, she and Charlotte are in a meeting with the Spanish ambassador, so I thought that I would see if you were both free to do some party planning- it's just under three weeks until her birthday."

"I do have a meeting at twelve, but we should have all the basics done by then," Mia said as she grabbed a pad and pen as Joe sat down in the other chair opposite her desk. "So, what's first?"

"We should make a list of everything we have to cover when planning this- you know, music, decorations, guest list, food... all of that, although it's been a while since I've been to a birthday party!" Pierre joked.

"The thing to remember about your grandmother is that despite the lifestyle she has led, she has very simple tastes and would definitely enjoy something small and intimate with closest friends and family," Joseph added.

"So... a party is out of the question?" Mia looked disappointed.

"No, no, definiteloy a party, just make sure that it's small, rather than the usual balls..."

"It sounds good to me," Mia said enthusiastically, scribbling furiously on her pad. "I don't mind the balls so much..."

"You're only young and this is only the beginning,"Pierre said with a wry grin.

"... but a small party for my birthday sounds so much better... maybe next year..." she paused for a moment and gazed dreamily into the distance for a moment.

"Mia," Pierre said after a moment. "I'm sorry to say this but I don't think that's a possibility for you- you are Queen, after all..."

"It doesn't mean that I won't be able to have a small party with my initmate circle AFTER the other party!" she argued, looking stubborn and Pierre laughed ruefully- she was definitely like her father. "So, what's next?"

"The palace will be able to organize the catering (and they all know what Clarisse likes and dislikes), the security will be normal unless otherwise..."

"What about the guest list?"

"Charlotte and I will get onto that,"Pierre volunteered. "And we'll let you know numbers when we get them."

"I'll do what I have to, when I can... but remember, I have to keep Clarisse distracted and not suspecting a thing."

"That may be your most important job, Joe" Mia looked at him mock seriously."For Queen and country... are you sure you will be able to do it?"

"My dear Queen Mia," Joseph pretended to look haughty. "I have been looking after your grandmother for so many years and I have developed quite a few tricks that I will be able to use to distract her..."

"Trust me, he will," Pierre added with a grin.

"So, Princess, _you _should be more worried about whether YOU will be able to keep this all a secret... and get this party organized!" Joseph mock chided, but the twinkle in his eye belied his stern voice.

"Low blow, Joe," Mia winced for a moment before beaming broadly. "That's no problem for me... but we have to make sure that this works out for the best," she said sincerely- she very much wanted this to work out. She loved her grandmother very much, and while she had mellowed greatly since their first meeting, there was still a tiny part of Mia that wanted to prove herself to Clarisse- not that she would ever admit that to anyone.

"It will, Mia, it will..." Pierre said just as sincerely, seeing that she was anxious that this worked out and knew that it would, and Joseph nodded his agreement.

"With us in charge, planning already underway, what could go wrong?"

"Don't tempt fate!" Mia chided but then smiled. "Yes... everything should be fine..."


	3. Joe's Worst Birthday

_A/N: Sorry about the long time between updates- have been very sick!_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!  
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

Joseph was back in their suite, comfortably ensconced on the sofa and finishing his book, when Clarisse returned several hours after lunch, a little later than he had expected, tired and thoroughly frustrated, as indicated by the door slamming behind her as she stormed across the room and slammed her diary and folder (now considerably thicker) on her desk as Joe sat up.

"I don't want to irritate you anymore but... are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she responded through gritted teeth before she kicked off her shoes and collapsed into a nearby chair, not caring about good posture or comfort.

"That man... it's obviously been a while since I seriously dealt with him as I forgot how much he liked to complain and niggle over every single detail," she complained after a moment. "I thought I'd never get out of there!"

"At least you won't have to see him too much from now on," he said sympathetically as he stood and moved to stand behind her chair, pausing for a moment before resting his hands on her shoulders. Clarisse jumped slightly at the contact before she relaxed back into her chair as his hands began working their magic on her shoulders.

"Mmm... that feels good, darling," she murmured after a moment.

"I aim to please."

"You don't need to worry about not pleasing me, especially when you're giving me a massage, albiet on my shoulders."

"Is that your hint for something more?"

"No, no, I wasn't hinting," she began to sit up before he gently pushed her back against the back of the chair again.

"I know you weren't, but maybe after this afternoon, you deserve a real massage."

"I'm fine," before she sighed again. "I'm getting too old to deal with this nonsense, or even to be of much use to Mia and it's just as well I stepped down when I did- I'm not as patient as I used to be."

"Nonsense, you are still as intelligent and in demand than ever- and you have the option of not dealing with those types of men, which is a bonus."

"Unfortunately, Mia will have to deal with them."

"She'll handle it quite well, if she's anything like you and Phillipe... but what's all this about you being too old to be of any use to Genovia? We both know you still have plenty to offer- and you are definitely not old!"

"I AM in my mid sixties..."

"I know- I'm two years older than you and I still feel like I'm forty, aside from the knee replacements and the fact I can't run as long and as far as I want... and I would have thought that you felt the same way, seeing as you are now happily married to the love of your life..."

"True," she admitted with a small smile.

"...You now have a new lease on life now that you're retired (not constrained by duty and responsibility) and your son and granddaughter are permanently in your life."

"True, I have been very blessed in the last few months but..."

"But what?" Joseph moved around the chair and sat on the edge of the coffee table resting only centimetres away from her feet. "Clarisse? But what?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I suppose I'm still exhausted after the happenings of the past few months... and maybe even since Rupert died and I've been on my own- I suppose it's all caught up to me... but I DO know how lucky I am," she leaned forward to caress his cheek as she had been doing for years, a secret signal that only they knew what it meant.

"Is this why you didn't want Mia to plan a party for you?"

"Partly because of that, and partly because I AM more interested in having a very small celebration rather than a ball or an enormous party... " she trailed off before she realized something else. "Mia wasn't oo upset about not being able to plan a party for me?"

"No, she understands completely."

"But she seemed to determined..."

"She understands," he repeated, squeezing her hand and she visibly relaxed, relieved- she had sensed at dinner that she had disappointed Mia with her decision but was now Clarisse was relieved that she hadn't, while Joseph was relieved that Clarisse didn't choose to pursue the subject AND that she had calmed down after her disasterous lunch- he was secretly very glad that his wife didn't have to deal with those obstinate men again.

"Maybe next year she could plan something... but this year, I want something simple with my family and a few friends."

"What about me?" he teased.

"You too of course- my birthday wouldn't be worth celebrating if you weren't at my side... You always made me feel special on my birthday, and made the day more memorable than they would be with Rupert planning them."  
He couldn't help chuckling at that, a particular memory coming to mind, much to her bewilderment.

"What's so amusing about what I just said? You did d and make my birthdays memorable!"

"There's nothing amusing about what you said, I was just thinking that what you said about me applies to you as well."

"Oh?"  
"I was just thinking about a birthday I had four years ago, when I thought everyone had forgotten, even you... and it started off as quite a bad day for me."

"Oh yes," Clarisse's face lit up at the memory- considering he had been the Head of Security, constantly on the go and always alert, he had been surprisingly obstuse when his birthday had rolled around, making it easy for her to plan a suprise for his day...

0000000

"Morning, boss!" Shades said cheerfully as Joseph stormed into the security room, a scowl on his face.

"Morning," he mumbled in return as he collapsed into a chair nearest Shades. "What's happening?"

"Nothing much- Her Majesty is in a session of parliament with Charlotte, Matt and Mike are outside on the grounds but everything is surprisingly calm."

"Calm is a good thing- we don't need chaos," Joseph said sternly as he reached for a file."Not when we are guarding Her Majesty and, eventually, the Crown Princess."

"True... but it certainly makes things interesting, doesn't it?" Shades joked, the smile dying on his lips when Joseph glared at him, and he then and there decided to keep his mouth shut- Joe was clearly in a very bad mood and he didn't want to bear the brunt of it if he lost his temper.

There was silence in the room for a long time, Shades and the other security boys watching the screens and doing paperwork while Joseph pretended to do his own paperwork, wondering all the while why no one had wished him a happy birthday- thankfully, it wasn't a milestone birthday, but still... it would have been nice for someone to remember... Shades he thought would, as everyone else remembered each other's birthdays..."

"Hey Joe!"

"Yes?" he looked up, trying not to sound or look to eager- maybe they HAD remembered...

"I have a question about this form... do we need to fill it all out or just this part...?" Shades leaned over with the form in question and Joseph inaudibly sighed as he reached for the form.

"Give to me."

The rest of the morning passed as slowly as ever, and it was a relief for Joseph when Clarisse finally emerged from her session with parliament and sent word that she wanted to go outside for a walk- she would definitely remember his birthday, he thought with a barely hidden grin as he almost bounded out of the room.

"Good morning Joseph," Clarisse said warmly when they met outside her study door. "Have you had a good morning?"

"Not particularly, but paperwork is never particularly interesting."

"I completely agree," she said with a smile as they walked down the hallway, towards the side door that led out into the gardens. "It never ceases to amaze me how much paperwork I get through in one day, and then how much has accumulated over night!"

"It's one thing that will always be there to be done," he agreed, slightly surprised that she hadn't wished him a happy birthday but then again... maybe she was waiting until they were alone before giving him a proper happy birthday greeting.

Much to his surprise (and more than a little disappointment, which was growing by the hour), she made no mention of his birthday during their half an hour stroll through the garden, keeping their conversation to less deep and sensitive topics, and while he had half hoped that they would stop when they were out of sight of the palace and she would kiss him, she kept her distance and by the time they returned to the palace, he was more than a little out of sorts with everyone... they COULDN'T have ALL forgotten his birthday!

As he walked back towards the kitchen- it was his lunch break- feeling thoroughly depressed and annoyed, he heard her call after him: "Joseph!"

"Yes, Your Majesty?" he said formally as he turned around and returned to where she was standing, in front of the dining room doors, hope dawning in his heart that hopefully she remembered.

"I won't be leaving the palace grounds for the rest of the day- I have several meetings this afternoon and a dinner tonight, so I won't be needing you until tonight, although since I'll be here, I don't think you will be necessary, so take the afternoon and evening off, if you wish."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I still have a great deal of paperwork that needs to be done... " before he bowed his head to her and turned to continue his journey to the kitchen.

0

The rest of the day passed quickly, and Joseph remained close to his desk and the ever increasing paperwork, attempting to forget that it was his birthday- one of the WORST birthdays he had ever had, he had had to conclude- and that everyone had forgotten. He would be glad when it was the end of his shift and he would be able to go to bed and forget about today...

His shift ended at six, and he was just about to go to the kitchen to have his dinner, after doing one last perusal of the palace grounds (and he had been grateful to get out of the security room and the palace) when Shades stopped him as Joe made his way down through the hallway to the kitchen..

"Hey Joe!"

"What?" he almost growled- he had had enough of everyone for the day and he just wanted his dinner and then retire for the evening to have a celebratory Scotch or two in his room.

"There's something gone wrong with the computer..."

"You DO realize that it's the end of my shift and there are more competent men who can handle the computers?"

"Yeah, I hate to bother you, but we wanted to make sure that you have copies of the files..." Shades trailed off, not sure whether he would come (not that he blamed him) but Joseph sighed heavily and followed him into the room...

"SURPRISE!" suddenly burst out of every corner of the room and Joe blinked in surprise as he looked around- all the men were there, there was a long 'Happy Birthday' poster tacked across the room and, on the table, there were bottles of alcohol and food... they hadn't forgotten!

"I... don't know what to say!"

"You don't think we'd actually forget your birthday, do you!" Shades thumped him on the shoulder good naturedly as the other men surrounded him, shaking his hand and wishing him a happy birthday.

"After this morning, I don't know what to think..." he said dazedly as someone shoved a beer into his hand and Shades laughed.

"Believe me, it was hard to keep it from you, especially as you were getting angrier as the day went on, but... was it worth it!"

"I suppose so... but don't do it again!"

"Believe me, after today, we're not going to! You're too scary when you're angry, Joe!"

Joseph suddenly felt so much better- they hadn't forgotten his birthday, they had been actually arranging a surprise for him- and he was more than a little touched.

He was in the middle of a conversation with some of the guys (NOT about security) when there was a knock on the door and silence filled the room as the men turned to see Charlotte standing in the doorway.

"I don't mean to intrude but Joe, Her Majesty would like to see you for a moment," she said almost timidly. "I know it's after six, but..."

"It's fine," he said calmly as he set his bottle down and headed towards the doorway, turning as he left. "Thank you all so much for this... I very much appreciate it... and don't get too drunk in my absence!"

Charlotte disappeared as soon as they reached Clarisse's study, and he knocked briefly on the door, feeling a little nervous- he hadn't been all that polite to her that afternoon- but the voice that bid him to come in didn't sound angry.

"Your Majesty, I..." he began as he stepped into the room, but the rest of the words died on his lips as he looked around the room- was he really in the right room?.

The lights were dimmed and there was a table set up for two in the middle of the room, a bottle of champagne chilling on a bucket on a nearby table... but he missed all that when he set eyes on Clarisse, who was standing almost shyly near her desk, clad in a blue silk dress and matching shoes.

"Happy birthday, Joseph," she said softly as he walked slowly into the room.

"You … you didn't forget?"

"As if I would forget your birthday... I'm just sorry you had to wait all day for your surprise," she said as she met him in the middle of the room. "I'm sorry about today."

"It... it's fine..." and it suddenly was- far from being the worst birthday he had ever had, it was now one of his best. "I thought you were having dinner with someone tonight."

"I am- you," she said simply, moving even closer to him and touching his cheek with her hand. "Happy birthday Joseph," she repeated, before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face closer to hers.

"Thank you," he replied, but he couldn't say anything else before their lips met in a long, sweet kiss.

0000000

"I AM sorry that you had to wait all day for your surprise," Clarisse said apologetically and he grinned at her.

"Yes, it had, to begin with, been the worst birthday I had but then... it turned out to be the best," he leaned forward and kissed the tip of your nose. "How hard was it for you to keep a secret?"

"Fairly easy- after all, you didn't see much of me all day... I'm more impressed at how Scott kept his part of the deal, seeing you get angrier as the day wore on."

"I don't think Scott's as scared of me as he claims to be," Joseph said modestly.

"No, I don't think so either... but we were both on tenterhooks that entire day..."

"Well, it was definitely worth the wait," he said reassuringly as he leaned over and kissed her briefly on the lips. "All I can say is, that was one day I will never be able to forget!"

"That's what I wanted," Clarisse said with a smile- she didn't think she could have surprised Joseph like that, but she had and it had been well worth it!

Little did she know, Joseph thought as he smiled at her, that the same thing was just about to happen to her!


	4. Birthday Disaster

_A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- I'm again sorry that it's been over a week since my last update but had a disaster or two (including writers block!). Hopefully will be more regular from now on!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"It's not that I don't like birthdays," Clarisse said much later as they settled on the couch, Clarisse having finally wound down from her meeting, the evening stretched out before them- Mia and Nicholas were going out on a date ("a very heavily guarded date," Mia had joked earlier) as were Charlotte and Pierre, thus Joseph and Clarisse had opted to stay in their suite and have dinner on trays in front of the television ("something I never had time to do when I was Queen!" she commented, and Joseph managed to retort "Neither did I- especially when my boss was working late"). "It's just that I'm feeling my age this year."

"After everything that's happened in the past ten years, I don't blame you for feeling a little...tired."

"Thank you dear," she said wryly.

"But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't write off your birthday- it's the one day of the year that belongs only to you."

"What about everyone else who celebrates their birthday on the same day?" her mouth quirked into a small smile.

"We're not talking about everyone else, we're talking about you!"

"Yes, Mister I hated when it when people pretended to forget my birthday," she teased.

"Nevertheless, you can't ignore your birthday- this year in particular would have to be a special one."

"Yes, it will be," she said with a smile- Pierre had finally returned to the family permanently after being banished by his father years ago; Mia was now fulfilling her destiny and birthright as Queen and she was FINALLY married to the love of her life- life was definitely much better than it was, and this birthday would definitely be a special one.

"You always loved celebrating the boys birthdays- and you flew to San Francisco every June for Mia's once you reconnected, so why can't we celebrate yours?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Joe realized it sounded as though he was pushing her into accepting a party against her wishes, and there was a long silence between them (the television making the only noise in the room) before Joseph started to open his mouth to apologize, to break the silence and the tension, when she sighed.

"It's not only because of the other reasons- that I want a simpler life and the way I'm feeling at the moment, but there is something else... When Mia brought up the idea of a party..." she paused for a moment as she looked down at her hands. "Do you remember one of the last birthday parties I had? This one was about ten years ago, if not a little more..." she asked quietly.

"What the...ah," he suddenly recalled the moment she was talking about... of course, he should have realized it had been a horrible evening, and the night had, as usual, ended in tears- NOT the best way to celebrate a birthday, especially Clarisse's.

0000000

The opening days of October in Genovia were generally still balmy, with a tinge of coolness gradually seeping into the weather until, by the end of the month, autumn had officially arrivaed with winter definitely on it's way.

Her Majesty's birthday was at the beginning of the month and the party that was usually held in her honour was held on a balmy evening that most people enjoyed, but this birthday party was different in that the weather was absolutely horrific- after two days of solid rain, the day of the party had cleared up enough to raise hope that it would be a nice day but, after a day that was very muggy, a major thunderstorm blew up and was unleashed just as the guests arrived- and it was this up and down weather which affected Rupert's mood so that while he would be charming to his guests, his wife and son bore the brunt of his bad mood.

No one outside his intimate circle knew it, but he wasn't very well, hadn't been for some time and the doctors were beginning to express concerns about his health. It was for this reason (and simply because she didn't want one) that Clarisse had suggested that the celebrations be kept low key.

"After all, it's hardly a milestone birthday, so I'm sure everyone would understand."

"Nonsense dear," Rupert brushed aside her argument over dinner a week before the party. "All the invites have been sent out and responded to, the catering has been arranged, as has the music, and the security detail is ready- it would be most impolite if we cancelled it all now, and we can't let outr guests down... besides," he had added, giving her what he thought was a warm smile. "What kind of husband would I be if I cancelled my wife's birthday party?"

_A husband who actually listened for once_ she thought to herself- she had a feeling that this was going to be an unpleasant evening for all concerned- especially herself...

"Why won't it stop raining?" Rupert muttered angrily to himself as he and Clarisse made their way down to the ballroom. "We've had nearly three days of it, surely we've had enough!"

"The weather forecast for tomorrow is supposed to be fine."

"Of course, that's what they would say," Rupert sneered. "What do they or you know, for that matter? At least your party will be a success... despite the fact that everyone had to come out in the weather- pretty decent of them."  
_Yes, pretty decent of them to attend her party, mainly because they wanted to enjoy the palace and all they had to offer, _Clarisse thought bitterly to herself.

"I hope you're happy about tonight," Rupert suddenly snapped as they approached the ballroom doors. "All this- all of them- are here for you."

"I'm well aware of that, and I'm also well aware of the fact that I suggested we downsize the celebrations to something more low key," Clarisse retorted waspishly, stung by his tone, words and implied meaning that this was all HER fault, but before Rupert could respond, they were at the doors and the two two guards on the door, as well as Michael and Joseph, their respective bodyguards, prevented any further interaction, although he glared at her for a moment before their arrival was announced withn the ballroom.

Much to her dismay (although she wasn't totally surprised), Rupert sought his revenge (and venting his mood) through, after their first offical dance (whereby he ignored her) dancing with all the attractive women present at the ball- most of them wives of parliamentarians, but some of them 'friends of friends'; while she was stuck dancing with the men and Rupert's freinds- none of her own friends had been invited and she didn't know why he had even bothered at all although she suspected why- to humiliate her and have a party with his friends.

As the evening wore on, as she danced again and again with the members of parliament and some of Rupert's friends (all of them getting drunker as the even progresses) and she began feeling more and more like a piece of meat (all of them gazing at her with varying levels of lust) and less and less in a celebratory mood (not that she had been feeling that way all evening).

It was almost a relief when, after she cut her cake (again, in front of everyone, with Rupert at her side, hanging off her waist with a funny smile on his face) and then his subsequent toast: "She's still a gorgeous woman, despite the years creeping up on her", that she was finally allowed to mingle with the rest of her guests, although Clarisse was relieved when most of them left her alone (they were mostly Rupert's friends, they tolerated her) and she was able to retreat into a darkened corner, thankfully close to a door through which she escaped from moments after she had stood there, a few seconds after she spied Rupert on the floor... with yet another woman, blatantly flirting with each other... and she knew then that she had to go.

Once she was outside, she paused to rest against a wall for a moment, thoroughly exhausted after the evening's events and relieved that she was finally alone. It had been a horrible evening from start to finish, an evening she hadn't even wanted and she didn't know why Rupert had even bothered, considering he had spent the minimum amount of time with her, blatantly flirting with other women and leaving her to fend herself against the rest of parliament. At least Phillipe had been there, and had danced with her several times, but his presence had also underscored the fact that her eldest son wasn't there, thanks to Rupert's banishment of him. She had heard from, but it wasn't the same as having him there, at her side.

Clarisse's thoughts were becoming darker and slightly muddles as she hurried down the corridor, keen to avoid seeing anyone, towards the side exit that would lead out to the gardens- she needed some air- and she had only just stepped over the threshold, the rain (she had forgotten there had been a storm raging outside) instantly saoking her to the skin before she felt a hand on her arm and then felt herself being pulled back into the warmth of the palace.

"Your Majesty, where do you think you're going?" Joseph's appalled voice broke through her thoughts.

"I neede some air... I just want to get out of here," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

"It's pouring rain out there- it's not safe!"

"I don't care," she said sullenly.

"I DO- it's my job to protect you and if you want to disappear outside in a storm, it's my job to convince you otherwise... I have to follow you!" he snapped, instantly stirring her up.

"Well, you know what you can do if you don't want the job anymore!" she offered belligerently, feeling the affects of the few drinks she had had, but not caring how she sounded.

He regarded her for a long moment, taking in her rain soaked dress and hair, the makeup running down her face, before he gently put an arm around her waist and led her back down the hallway, much to her horror and she struggled against him.

"Don't take me back there... do you want me to be completely humilated?"

"Don't worry...Trust me," he murmured into her ear and she closed her mouth as he walked her around the bottom of the stairs and started ascending them- thankfully they weren't seen by anyone as the ballroom doors remained closed- and she relaxed slightly when she realized that he was taking her back to her suite.

Once inside in her suite, he hustled her over to stand over in front of the fire, Clarisse, who had been shivering with cold, made a grateful noise as she stepped closer before disappearing into her bedroom and returning with several towels, two of which he tossed on the sofa and he wrapped the third one around her shoulders, rubbing firmly but gently.

"I...I'm sorry about before," she said after a moment and he paused in his rubbing to look at her seriously.

"You don't need to apologize to me for anything- after the evening you had, you deserved to vent to someone."  
"But not you... never you," Clarisse said softly, reaching out and touching his cheek with her hand, Joseph stiffening at the gesture. "I... I'm sorry," she repeated, dropping her hand as she realized that he felt uncomfortable at the gesture.

"It's alright...I'm just not used to being this close to you, alone..." he trailed off as their eyes met and held for a moment before he looked away. "You're going to have to get out of that dress," Joseph said after a moment, standing back and regarding her calmly. "I'll call one of your maids..."

"NO!" she burst out and he looked at her quizzically. "It's just that... I really don't want any additional attention."

"If you want to be alone, I can go..." he said awkwardly- he was crazy about the woman, he always had been and he hated that Rupert treated her so appallingly and tonight had been no exception... she looked so vulnerable, he didn't want to leave her, but if she desired time alone...

"No, please don't," she looked at him with the faintest glimmer of tears in her eyes- she had managed to keep them to herself until now, but now that she was alone with someone she had very deep feelings for, and had saved her from going outside in the midst of a raging storm, the rest of the evening and her memories of that evening suddenly began to collapse down onto her.

"I...I..."

"Go and change out of your wet clothes," Joseph said gently, sensing that she was suddenly unable to make the simplest of decisions on her own, as he pushed her towards the bedroom. "I'll be waiting here... why don't you have a shower as well, just to warm up?"

"I will," she said, appreciating that he was allowing her keep her dignity, rather than collapsing into tears. "Could you order some tea for me... and you?"

"Yes... I won't be long, I just need to let some of the guys know where you and I are... I'll be back," he added as she was about to ask another question.

"Thank you... I don't know what I would have done..." her voice cracked and, wordlessly, Joseph pulled her into his arms and stared straight ahead as she sobbed into his shoulder, not caring that she was wet and cold.

"You don't need to ever worry about being alone... just don't go out in a storm on your own again," he said finally, once her sobs had subsided and she couldn't help but chuckle weakly as she pulled away from him.

"I won't... I don't like storms anyway..."

She was about to pull away from him- she would have a shower and he would order tea and no one else would know where she was- before he stopped and reached out to touch her tearstained cheek with a hand that had been roughened by years of training but, to Clarisse, was soft and gentle.

"Happy birthday, Clarisse... I'm sorry you had a horrific night."

"Thank you... and it's not been all that bad," she said lightly and their eyes met and held again for a long moment before they pulled away, both more than a little shaken by the connection they had felt not for the first time, but feeling that it was something special...

"I need that shower," she suddenly shook herself out of the mood and turned away. "I shouldn't be too long..." before she disappeared into her bedroom.

"Happy birthday..." he repeated softly, knowing that she couldn't hear him but wanted to say it anyway...


	5. Tea and Comfort

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!  
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"I wanted to kiss you that night," Joe admitted once their dinner trays had been removed and they were alone, watching a film on television.

"Oh? Why didn't you?"

"You were so sad, so fragile, so vulnerable... I just wanted to protect you but then I wasn't sure whether you would welcome the attention or not."

"Weren't you the gentleman?" she teased as, back resting against an arm rest, she stretched her legs along the sofa, her feet resting in his lap. "But you always were anyway."

"I was brought up to treat ladies properly, unlike some of the cretins around here."

He inwardly shuggered at the memory of seeing most of them- Viscount Mabrey included- attempting to charm Clarisse or make her feel insecure but that, thankfully, was now a thing of the past as he would always be at her side. "They always were lusting after you, and I found their ways to trying to charm you disgusting."

"It wasn't me they wanted," she protested. "They wanted the power gained by associating with Rupert."

"I don't think so- they may have craved that power, but they all definitely... admired you."

"Admiration is too kind a word," she laughed bitterly. "I would call it lust."

"I have to agree with you on that- it always infuriated me to see them try and hit on you... and Rupert..." he stopped suddenly- it was no use getting annoyed at the thought, it was all in the past. "Never mind, it's all over now, they can't actually attempt that anymore, not with me around."

"That's one of the best things about being married to you- it may sound old fashioned, but I like belonging to one man- you in particular- and everyone knows that."

"That's the BEST thing about being married to me?" he teased as he rubbed her feet and ran one of his hands up her leg and she chuckled at both the question and the sensation.

"Well, there are other advantages, I suppose," she responded coyly, her laughter becoming louder as he leaned towards her and kissed her lightly. Afterwards, Clarisse swung her legs off the sofa and snuggled up to him, his arm creeping around her waist as she rested her head back on his shoulder.

"This is another appealing feature of marriage," she said contentedly after a moment.

"I think so too..." and there was a silence before Clarisse changed the subject.

"Going back to that night we were talking about, I did appreciate what you did for me, even if I never said so at the time."

"Even if it was just providing you tea?"

"You provided tea AND comfort- just your very presence helped soothe me, and that's what I needed..." she trailed off as she reflected back on the evening- even though it had been her birthday, it had been a horrible evening from start to finish, although the even of the evening had turned out reasonably well...

0000000

When she emerged from the shower, Joseph had returned with tea and a plateful of buttery crumpets, the fire in the fireplace clearly having been just stoked up.

"Were there... any complications downstairs?" she asked hesitantly, feeling shy around him as she was wearing pyjamas (although her robe covered them), before deciding she didn't care and moved to join him on the sofa.

"None whatsoever- the rest of the guys have security under control- which renders me completely useless..."  
"Well, considering you are my personal bodyguard and I wasn't in the ballroom, that sounds about right," she said with a soft smile- she couldn't resist teasing him a little.

"True... and all the guests are strictly contained in the ballroom, most of them still drinking heavily and dancing... although I do suspect there will be a few escape artists later in the evening..."

"In other words, they don't realize I'm not there," she said softly as she accepted a cup of tea from Joseph. "What about Rupert?"

"I didn't see him in the crowd," he said tactfully after a pause, avoiding her eyes for a moment and she realized he was being diplomatic- he was probably dancing with another girl, or maybe even the same one. "Still, isn't it better to be out of all of that rather than being still on display and watched?" he added as he sat down beside her, close but not too close.

"True... but it just amazes me (although it shouldn't) how they all want to associate with Rupert, not for his friendship, but for the sake of power... I don't enjoy the power I have but if some of those men had it... I shudder to think what they would do with it."

"Most of them don't understand, they just crave it because it makes them feel more important and gives them the ability to be able to show off to everyone else."

"Did you ever aim for the head of security position for the power and influence that you would have with it?" she gave him a sidelong glance. "Or for the contact with me?"

"I never aimed for this position- I was just keen to do my job to the best of my ability... and I have NEVER used my influence to overpower my colleagues and especially not you," he turned to give her a long, sincere loook.

"You have to believe me- I have no desire to have the power to influence others... although the additional contact with you was a bonus," he added with a teasing smile.

"I believe you...in both instances" she gave him a small smile and then sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I knew this evening would end in disaster. My birthday celebrations always seem to end like that and they haven't been the same without Pierre..." she trailed off, the mere mention of her eldest son bringing a pain to her heart.

"I'm sorry too," he said sincerely and he wished that Pierre could have been there- he, a little more so than Phillipe (although Phillipe had definitely matured in the past few years), had always been protective of his mother and had run interference with his father on more than one occasion.

He had never got along with Rupert from about the time he was eighteen, and when he chose to abdicate, it was all Rupert needed to banish him from the family and the country.

"It's not your fault, I should have been more insistent with Rupert," she said quietly- _in both __instances_, she thought to herself, her mind still on Pierre and the pain of his absence. She hoped that one day he would be able to come back...

"Would he have listened to you?" he gave her a perceptive look and she smiled wryly.

"No, he definitely wouldn't have listened to me. I'm only his wife, not his mistress or his friends."

"I'm sorry today has been such a disappointment to you," Joseph said after a moment, knowing all about the problems in their marriage but not wanting to bring it to the surface on today of all days.

"Well, not all of today has been terrible," Clarisse said slowly, turning to him with a shy smile. "I do appreciate what you did for me tonight- I would have looked like a fool if I had been caught by someone else and escorted back to the ballroom, sopping wet."

"None of the guys would have done that to you, I can guarantee that, and I wouldn't have let you be seen as a fool- and you haven't."

"That's why you're the best at your job," she said in a low voice, looking up to meet his eyes, and the look that was exchanged was so powerfully intense, with such a strong connection flowing between them, that they could both feel the pull and Joe longed to kiss her, she was so close and they were alone... but instead, he chose to reach over and touch her cheek with his hand, the touch saying more than he could express verbally...

0000000

"See, that birthday ended well," Joseph teased as he switched off the television and stood up to stretch before he helped his wife up.

"True, although you can now understand why I'm not so keen on parties."

"Yes, I can, although if we were ever to have one again, it would be so different- you would get to have the party you wanted, with only the people you are close to and it wouldn't be an occasion where all of parliament has to be there... for me, that's definitely an advantage."

"True," she chuckled lightly and turned to gently caress his cheek with her hand. "I'm glad you were there that night... I dread to think what would have happened if someone else had come upon me."

"I dread to think what would have happened if I hadn't been watching you leave the ballroom and you had ended up outside, on your own," he retorted as he followed her into the bedroom.

"I would have been fine," she gave him a smile as she moved towards her dressing room. "I think you would have found me sooner rather than later..."

"True... although I would have hated going outside into the stormy weather... you know how much I hate storms," he pretended to shudder and she laughed, knowing that it was she who didn't like storms, not him, before she disappeared into her dressing room to change.

Joseph watched her closed door for a couple of seconds, touched to know the real reason why she was so against having a party, but now firmly convinced that she needed to have one, not only to show her that there were so many people who cared about her and who would not use her, but to also show her that she COULD have a good time.


	6. Pierre

_A belated Merry Christmas to all my readers and reviewers, and a very present Happy New Year as well! Thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed my stories this year- your support is very much appreciated, and I'm looking forward to more stories next year!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

The next week seemed to pass by quickly, and while the chief conspirators in the surprise were busy with their own enterprises (Mia- running a country; Charlotte working as a member of parliament; Pierre working with the Archbishop, attending to their flock; and Joe, still assisting Shades occasionally), Mia was emphatic that Clarisse's birthday remained at the top of the agenda.

"We have ten days till her actual birthday and I have to spend a few days in England, so we really need to get organized!" Mia was trying to be calm by she was anxious to get this right.

"Don't worry, my dear niece," Pierre said calmly, reclining back in the chair opposite Mia's desk, Charlotte beside him- Joe was still involved, but they had agreed he wouldn't come to every 'meeting' as it would definitely arouse Clarisse's suspicions. "Charlotte and I have sent out the invitations and we've already received half of the invitations back- everyone seems to want to be here."

"How many did you end up inviting?"

"Around sixty- but that, compared to other balls here, is a small number of guests," Pierre added as Mia's jaw dropped. "We kept it to the bare minimum, but we both know how popular my mother is."

"She certainly is... hopefully she will enjoy her guests," Mia bit her lip thoughtfully.

"She will- Charlotte and I made sure those invited are people she actually _likes_ spending time with."

"They're letting you know, not Joe?"

"Yes, and they all understand that it's a surprise... although..." he exchanged a look with Charlotte, who immediately blushed and looked down. "...we did have a near miss with Mother a couple of nights ago."

"Oh?" Mia looked half shocked, half intrigued. "What happened?"

"It wasn't completely my fault, I'll say that in my defense!" Charlotte suddenly spoke up hotly. "Her Majesty has always been an intuitive woman and she always seemed to know when I was lying."

"That's right," Mia chuckled, remembering the times she had seen her grandmother gently chide her assistant when she sensed the younger woman was being less than truthful with her. "So, what happened?"

"Well..."

000

"Good morning Charlotte," came a voice from beside her as Charlotte stepped into the main foyer of the palace, and Charlotte tried not to look startled as she turned to see Clarisse emerging from the library, situated to her right.

"Good morning Your Majesty... Clarisse," Charlotte amended quickly as the older woman raised an eyebrow- after her retirement, Clarisse had insisted that Charlotte call her Clarisse reasoning that 'after all, we have worked together for a long time and I would consider you a friend.' "What are you doing?"

"I was just looking for Joseph- he seems to have disappeared."

"Maybe he's meeting with Scott," Charlotte suggested, adjusting her armful of books so that she was holding them (and the thin manila folder) closer to her chest.

"True, he could be there," Clarisse mused as, much to Charlotte's discomfort, she fell into step beside her. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a session of parliament to attend."

"I do, it's just that Her Majesty wanted to see the agenda before the meeting."

"Oh good, I may have a quick glance at it, if I may, after Mia- while I'm very relieved not to be presiding over those sessions anymore, I'm still interested in what's going on in the country."

"That's what mad you such an involved and respected monarch," Charlotte said a touch absently, preoccuplied- the guest list (and other details) were in the folder and while she was enjoying the moment with Clarisse as friends, rather than employer and employee, she was rather nervous that said former employer would discover what she was seeing Mia about.

As it turned out, Mia wasn't in her study but, according to her maids, was out riding and wouldn't be back for another fifteen minutes. Clarisse tsked in disapproval- 'she does have responsibilities to attend to'- but Charlotte didn't mind waiting, although she was disconcerted when Clarisse opted to wait with her and instantly focused her attention even more on her former assistant.

"So, how are you finding parliament?" she asked conversationally.

"Fine," Charlotte replied, touched that the former Queen cared enough to ask. "It's different to my previous job, although I'm still working with powerful, difficult people but I'm enjoying it," she added with a small smile.

"Are you sassing your former boss? Honestly, you're just as bad as Mia," Clarisse glared at her haughtily for a moment and Charlotte was just about to apologize when she caught the twinkle in her eyes and subsequent wink and she relaxed.

After a moment's pause, Clarisse initated conversation again.

"Would it be alright if I glanced over the agenda before Mia arrives? I might be able to add a few notes of my own."

"I'm sure... Mia... would appreciate your assistance, but Mia did ask to see this first," Charlotte said haltingly and Clarisse looked surprised at the rebuff- she had never been denied access to official documents.

"I AM a former Queen, remember? I'm still allowed to read confidential documents."

"I know, but Mia insisted that she looks at the agenda first," Charlotte replied calmly, feeling slightly uncomfortable that she was lying to her former boss, her discomfort boss growing as she looked up and saw Clarisse looking at her thoughtfully.

"Is something going on that I should know about, Charlotte?" she finally asked.

"No, everything's fine," Charlotte said hastily- a little too hastily for her liking as she noticed Clarisse's expression sharpen.

"Are you sure? I know Mia wants to prove herself- which I approve of- but if she's not sure about something..."  
"She's fine, truly she is, and there's nothing wrong!"

"Really?" Clarisse looked skeptical.

"Really..." but before she could say anything more, there was a knock on the study door and then Pierre strode in.

"There you both are! Mother, do you realize that Joe's looking for you in the garden and getting downright annoyed that you've "given him the slip' ?"

"Oh dear," Clarisse sighed as she stood up and Charlotte was relieved to see that she was now distracted. "He disappeared after breakfast this morning and I assumed he was in the security hub with Scott... I suppose I had better go and meet him... see you both later," she waved absently in their direction and Charlotte let out a sigh of relief, much to Pierre's curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

"You have know idea how close your mother came to finding out about the party... " and Pierre grinned sympathetically in response.

"How close?"

000

"Poor Charlotte!" Mia sputtered, almost crying with laughter at the end of the story. "I'm glad Grandma didn't catch on but I am sorry that you were made to feel as if you were under the microscope."

"It's alright, it's worth it," Charlotte chuckled ruefully, seeing the funny side now. "I should have expected it- she's always been particularly sharp and interested in everything."

"In her position, she has to be," Mia said flippantly. "But, on this occasion, she was also very easily distracted!"

"That was only because she knew Joe was looking for her- and she wanted to head him off before someone..."

"Probably herself," Mia inserted cheekily.

"Probably... but before ANYONE got into trouble, including herself," Pierre said with a grin. "That's Mother for you."

"Uncle Pierre, can I ask you something?" Mia asked timidly- she was still a little shy around him,, after only being introduced to him in July, but she was gradually becoming more and more comfortable with him.

"Of course."

"What was Grandma like with yours and Dad's birthdays? Did... did you have parties or weren't you allowed to have them?"

"Oh yes, we did have birthday celebrations,"Pierre chuckled. "Father didn't encourage it, but Mother always insisted- particularly when we were small. It was only when we became teenagers that the parties stopped (except for our 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays) but Mother made even those special as well... I always loved her for that," he said softly and he paused for a moment.

During that pause, Mia reflected back on her subsequent birthdays with Clarisse after their reunion just before her 16th birthday- while it was always celebrated in Genovia upon her arrival, her grandmother had always remembered the actual date, surprising her twice by flying over for a couple of days.

"One time," Pierre continued, a wistful smile playing on his lips. "When I was six and Pierre was four... Father was away for a couple of days but Mama... Mother insisted on staying with us- it didn't go down too well, to say the least, but I was glad that she stayed, particularly what happened to us two days before the party."

"What happened to you and Dad?" Mia was enjoying this- she very rarely heard stories about her father's childhood.

"Well...we were going to have a party- ice cream, balloons, a clown, the works- but Phillipe came down with measles and I caught it off him two days before my party so, as you probably guessed, the party was cancelled and I wound up in bed on my birthday instead."

"What did Clarisse do?" Charlotte asked interestedly.

"She was really, really terrific- she not only looked after us herself- with some assistance when she was needed for official duties- but on my actual birthday, we had cake, balloons and ice cream... which I greatly appreciated...as did Phillipe."

There was a pause after the story, the three of them reflecting on what Pierre had told them and how much Clarisse loved her children, before Pierre spoke again, this time his voice breaking slightly as he looked past Mia and Charlotte and out the window..

"There is another time that was memorable to me...and she came through for me..."

0000000

It was a quiet morning on the grounds of the seminary on the outskirts of Edinburgh in Scotland, the sun shining on the grounds and the sounds of birds singing the only sounds on the grounds as some of the students (known as 'brothers' until their orders) hurried along, travelling either to classes or off campus to preside over a church service.

Brother Pierre Renaldi was one such student that was hurrying off to class- although he was now into his thirties and well educated, he enjoyed the classes he attended and the services he presided over- he was looking forward to becoming a priest and, hopefully, one day he would be able to return to Genovia and establish a small parish outside Pyrus. Very few of the brothers knew that they had a Prince within their midst, and those that did, didn't say anything- Pierre didn't want to attract attention to himself, he was there to study and to serve others, so they respected his decision and left him alone.

Most of the time, he was reasonably happy there- this was the life he was meant to lead, he was sure of that- but there were times when he was unhappy and homesick for his family (mainly his mother and brother Phillipe) and homeland, and today was one such day... especially since it was his birthday.

Since he had been banished from Genovia several years ago, his father thoroughly disapproving of his choice to abdicate the throne to follow his own path and ordering him never to retun, his contact with much of the country was kept to a bare minimum- his friends from school dropped off and his other associates never returned his phone calls or letters- but Phillipe and his mother made sure that they were always in contact with him, Phillipe visiting on more than one occasion over the years. Pierre had been confused at that- surely they would be following Rupert's orders- and Phillipe had been more than a little shocked when his older brother had admitted that to him.

"Why on earth would we write you off just because Father doesn't want to have anything to do with you?" he had asked on the occasion he had heard that.

"Well, you are heir to the throne now and have to spend more of your time with him..." Piere had almost half stammered, afraid to anger his brother- Phillipe had a temper and he had no wish to annoy him to the stage that he would leave and not come back.

"Well, just because I'm his successor, it doesn't mean that I'm going to follow his orders...and keeping me away from my own brother... please!" he snorted derisively. "That's not going to happen!"

"And Mother..."

"If you honestly thought that Mother would abandon her firstborn son over her husband, you don't know her too well!"

Pierre felt better after that and he was more than happy to receive visits from his brother and letters and phone calls from his mother, but it always smarted on his birthday, when he was alone and away his family, that he wasn't allowed to celebrate with them...

Rupert had made it perfectly clear that he was no longer a son of his and the silence between them since his banishment had been stony and absolute. Yet, he still wished that his father would soften enough so that he could come home for even one birthday- he would make sure that he wouldn't be seen by the press or too many people, and he would even come for one day, just as long as it was his own birthday...

It wasn't going to happen too soon, Pierre thought to himself after class (thankfully, no one had the slightest idea it was his birthday, and the friends he had made there were off campus for the day) and began the stroll back to his quarters for a couple of hours of reflection and study before lunch. While his father was still alive, he wouldn't be welcomed back to the palace, and he assumed that some of his cronies would allow that to continue once the King passed- although, he thought with a grin, he could just imagine Phillipe's reaction to that.

Oh well, he sighed to himself as he came into sight of his quarters, at least he could look forward to the phone call from his mother tonight- he hadn't seen her in years, not since he had left, and while she sounded cheerful enough on the phone, Phillipe had informed her that his loss had upset her deeply... thanks to her loving (and very unfaithful) husband.

Pierre was so deep in thought that he almost collided with an unfamiliar black car as he crossed the driveway, before he gave a start.

"What the..." he began- who on earth would be parked in front of his quarters at this time of the day?- before the driver's door opened and out stepped a man that Pierre had thought he would never see again, not for a long time anyway... it was Joseph, her mother's loyal bodyguard.

"Joe!" he cried, surprised as he moved to shake hands with the older man. "It's so good to see you... what are you doing here? Is it Mother? Phillipe?"

"No, they're all fine... and it's very good to see you again, Pierre," Joseph said formally, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Then why..." but before he could say anymore, Joseph looked past him, towards the front door of his quarters and he whirled around to see... his mother standing there, youthful and beautiful in a pale pink linen suit, tears shining in her eyes.

"Hello darling," she said softly.

"Mother... Mama?" he said softly, in disbelief, as he remained frozen in his spot.

"Yes... I'm sorry I haven't been before, but..." she let the sentence die on her lips.

"You came... "

"Of course I came... how could I let my firstborn celebrate his birthday without me?" she said briskly as she moved towards him. "I know I've missed so many of your birthdays, Pierre, and I don't deserve your forgiveness..."

"There's nothing to forgive you for... you couldn't come."

"You have always been more gracious than you should be," she said with a slightly teasing smile as she stood in front of him.

"It's the truth."

They stood there for a long moment, staring at each other, fearful of making the first move, before Pierre, tears in his eyes and feeling like a five year old, whispered:

"Mama, you came..." before he stepped in front of her and folded his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"Of course I came," her words were slightly muffled before she pulled away to reach up and touch his face. "Happy birthday, my Pierre."

0000000

"As it turned out, she came to Scotland especially for that day, and to spend a few days with me,"Pierre finished with a smile as both Mia and Charlotte wiped their eyes.

"What about Rupert?"

"He was in Genovia, and Mother simply told him that she was going to visit some friends in England."

There was a long silence between the three of them before Mia finally said:

"Wow."

"Yes, wow," Charlotte echoed and Pierre grinned at both of them.

"Yes, it was amazing, which is why I want to make this birthday special for Mother..."

"Well, after hearing a story like that, it definitely will be... especially now that you're back in the fold!"


	7. Phillipe's 'Surprise'

_Thanks to my loyal readers and reviewers!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"Are you bored yet?" Joseph suddenly asked as he and Clarisse strolled around the garden late one afternoon- it was a week until Clarisse's birthday party and while she had only mentioned her birthday in passing- "something quiet is exactly what I want,"- and everything was falling into place quite well, especially the fact that Clarisse didn't suspect a thing, aside from a near miss with Charlotte the previous week.

Thankfully, even then, Clarisse hadn't suspected a thing, although she had remarked to her husband, when they finally found each other (and Joseph had tried to tell her off for 'giving him the slip') -about Charlotte's behaviour.

"It wasn't almost as if she was lying to me about Mia."

"I'm sure she wasn't lying to you and I'm sure Mia's fine," he had replied calmly. "Mia would definitely tell you if there was something wrong," before he smoothly changed the subject, not wanting Clarisse to pursue her concerns of an imagined problem of Mia's.

"Why would I be bored?" Clarisse asked, bringing him back to the present.

"Well, you WERE running a county two or so months ago..."

"Yes, but I had been doing that for a long time and I was ready to step down... why? Are YOU bored?" she turned the question around on him. "YOU were in charge of a large group of men and ensuring the safety of the royal family. I would have thought this sedentary life would be boring to you."

"No, I'm not bored," he said with a touch of indignation. "Like you, I was ready to move onto the next stage of my life... I was just wondering whether you were bored- I mean, our life now is fairly quiet, compared to the life you led before."

"This life is the one I want," she moved closer to him and looped her arm through his. "Are you afraid that I might get bored eventually?"

"Maybe," he admitted in a quiet voice.

"Well, I can guarantee that I'm not bored at this precise moment and I'm fairly certain that I won't be bored in the future... just as long as you're around," she finished before she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I think I may be able to guarantee that," he responded lightly, enjoying Clarisse snuggle into him- after so many years of waiting, it felt good to be allowed to openly show affection to each other and he was sure that he would never get sick of that sensation.

"I should certainly hope so," Clarisse said in a mock stern voice. "I didn't marry you so that you can keep helping your men protect the royal family! You're part of the family now!"

"So I'm now a protectee, rather than a protector?"

"Yes, if you want to see it that way."

"I'd rather say that I'm still protecting you and the guys are protecting us!"

"Well, you can say that... although you aren't being paid to do this!"

"I can handle that... it was more than a job to me and I'm sure most of the other guys would agree with me... they usually enjoy protecting the royal family...except when they are trying to escape from them as a certain former Queen and a certain son did on occasion!" he wagged a finger at her and they both laughed before they continued their stroll around the gardens, Clarisse mentally taking note of a few changes she wanted to make, before she paused and stared blankly at a nearby flowering bush.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Clarisse gave a start and smiled at him. "I was just thinking... how complicated would it be for us to visit the cemetery today?"

"Not too complicated, I shouldn't think," he said casually, not even asking why they would be visiting there, he already knew.

"How so?"

"Most of the security team assigned to Mia and wherever she goes, but there is still a group that is specifically assigned to you and I'm sure that two or three of the guys would be more than happy to leave the security room for a couple of hours!" he teased gently, not wanting to upset her but to make her feel better, which was proved when she gave him a small smile.

0

Less than an hour later, they were on their way to the cemetery, accompanied by two bodyguards, and while initially Clarisse had been pleased her request had been granted so quickly, she grew quieter and slightly paler as they got closer to the cemetery.

"Should I have asked Mia or Pierre if they wanted to come?" she asked as the car turned into the tree lined driveway and headed down towards the private, well hedged, gated cemetery.

"No, Pierre told me that they visited a few days ago...besides, we both know that you prefer to visit on your own."

"True," Clarisse said pensively- aside from the first few occasions, she had usually visited Phillipe's grave alone, not only out of preference but because Pierre had rarely visited Genovia and she had gotten used to it. "Still, maybe one day..." she trailed off, realizing that they were very close to where Phillipe was buried.

After helping her out of the car, Joseph allowed her to walk ahead of him to the grave- she deserved some privacy- and Clarisse felt tears well in her eyes as she sank down onto the grassy knoll next to the grave and arranged the flowers she had brought into the attached vase and then running her hands down the smooth marble, fingering the letters of his name as she did so.

"Hello dear," she almost whispered. "I know it's been a while since I've been here, but now that I'm retired, I should be visiting a lot more."

She sat back on the grass and regarded the well tended grave for a moment- the royal family had it's own crypt but neither Phillipe nor Pierre had been keen to be buried with their ancestors, and in fact Phillipe had insisted that, if the worst should happen (which, Clarisse thought sadly, it did), he would be bruied in the cemetery itself, rather than with his 'stuffy relatives' and Clarisse had complied with his wishes.

Clarisse herself hadn't thought about it, although she too found it preferable to be buried outside the Renaldi crypt, but she knew that, despite it being a morbid subject, she and Joseph would have to discuss it.

She wasn't aware of how long she had been sitting there, lost in her memories of Phillipe, until she realized Joseph was sitting down beside her, and she leant back against him slightly.

"Are you alright?" he asked solicitiously, well aware of how difficult these visits were for her (and usually ending in tears) but she was surprised to discover that her face was remarkably free of tears when she turned to give him a small smile.

"I'm better than I've been in a long time- isn't that strange?"

"No, I wouldn't think so- your life has changed a great deal in the past few months."

"I just wish Phillipe was here to enjoy it all as well," she sounded sad for a moment. "And for us to be all together again on my birthday."

"He is, in a way."

"True..."

"So, what were you thinking about, that made you seem less sad than you usually are?"

"I was thinking about some of his birthdays in the past... what a terror he was, especially when he was little..."

"I do remember one time when he was ten, and I believe that there was a snake from that zoo that came to the palace that escaped from it's cage?"

"Yes," she visibly shuddered. "Someone let it out as a prank, and it disappeared into the palace... thankfully, it was found before it got into any of the suites."

"Do you think that, maybe, Phillipe did it?"

"He denied it at the time, but nothing would surprise me," she chuckled softly before resting her head against Joseph's shoulder for a moment. "I do miss him though, even when he was being so naughty."

"That's perfectly natural. But you obviously have some good memories of him and birthdays to balance out your grief?"

It was something that they had rarely discussed- Clarisse obviously only just recovering from the shock and pain of her younger son's death, helped along by the reappearance of her granddaughter in her life- and Joseph hadn't wanted to bring up any additional pain, but he was curious.

"Of course- the boys always made my birthdays seem so special- even when their father forgot- and I always enjoyed making their birthdays special and they were... although there was a birthday of Phillipe's that I'm not sure that I want to remember particularly."

"Oh?"

"I don't know if you remember Phillipe's 21st...?"

"Oh yes," he said sharply- it was an occasion that, as fond as he was of Phillipe, he didn't want to remember, given that the young man returned to drop a bombshell, leaving his mother to deal with the subsequent repercussions...

"It wasn't the party itself that was the problem..."

"It was what he announced to me the following morning..."

0000000

"You didn't have to give me a ball, Mother, I would have been perfectly happy with a dinner when I came home in June... but thank you anyway," Phillipe said gratefully to his mother as they strolled around the gardens the morning after Phillipe's 21st birthday ball, an occasion that was attended by almost everyone in the country (or seemed to be) and something that Clarisse had been planning for months.

"Nonsense, darling, it was your 21st and your brother had one..."

"So?"

"It wouldn't have looked right if you hadn't had one... and I didn't want you to miss out in anyway."

"Not to mention the fact that Father insisted," he observed with a bitter twist of his mouth. "Always concerned about appearances, him."

"Maybe so, but I wanted you to have a decent celebration and I had hoped that you would enjoy it," Clarisse said calmly, with an edge to her voice.

She didn't know what was going on with Phillipe, but she had hoped that he would have been grateful for the party, although he had been very reluctant to return to Genovia for that, and Rupert had had to intervene for Clarisse's sake.

"I'm sorry, Mother, I do appreciate it and it was good to catch up with everyone again," Phillipe immediately turned apologetic as he stopped and turned to smile fondly at his mother. "I love you for doing that...it's just that..."

"What?"

"It's just that..." he sighed and turned away, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. "It was so difficult to come home..."

"Why? Your father isn't a complete ogre all the time, and Pierre and I miss you."

"I know, and I miss you too... it's just that..."

"Please, Phillipe," Clarisse was suddenly concerned for his frame of mind. "If there's something bothering you, you can talk to me and, if there's a problem, I will do what I can to help."

"It's not a problem as such," Phillipe said awkwardly as he walked over to a nearby garden seat and sat down, Clarisse following suite. "It's just that... well..." he sighed again, running a hand through his hair again and Clarisse was surprised do see that he was blushing.

"Is it a girl? Have you got a girlfriend back in San Francisco?" Clarisse teased- he had always been such a ladies man, she wasn't surprised that he would have a girlfriend (or friends, as Pierre would say on occasion). "It's alright, dear, I can understand why you wouldn't want to leave San Francisco... but, I hate to say this, you will have to leave after next year and it's possible that the relationship will be over by then."

"It won't be over," he said definitely.

"You don't know that."

"I do," he suddenly looked at her with fierce determination in his eyes, taking Clarisse aback slightly.

"How do you know that?" she finally asked.

"I just do.."

"Phillipe..." she said warningly, thoroughly fed up with his evasiveness, and suddenly feeling her heart sink into her stomach- there was something wrong- especially once he looked up and stared straight into her eyes.

"Because...because...she's my wife."

0000000

"Well, you know the rest of the story... I couldn't believe it and Rupert was furious..."

"I remember," Joseph winced, remembering the evenings when he had heard shouting coming from either Rupert's study, Phillipe's rooms or Clarisse suite. "I don't know how you put up with it."

"I had no choice... Rupert blamed me and told Phillipe that he had to divorce the girl and be back here by June this year... Phillipe was determined to stand up to him, but Rupert...I can't say that I approved, of course I didn't but..." she trailed off, suddenly angry at how much damage Rupert had caused over the years and they were all just beginning to recover from.

Pierre had been all but banished from Genovia until after his father's death and, even then, he had only visited once a year, and Phillipe... he had been forced to give up the woman he loved and, subsequently, his only child...

She hadn't approved of the marriage, not in the slightest, and had know that he would have to give it up to return to Genovia, particularly after Pierre's revelations a year or so later, but her heart still ached at the memory of Phillipe returning to Genovia months later, downhearted and not speaking to anyone. So much had been missed, so many people suffered...

"Nevertheless, you stood up to Rupert and told him that you supported your son, which is the right thing to do... I just wish that I could have done something."

"You did, by being there when I needed someone to talk to..." she turned and gave him a light kiss on the mouth. "I will always be grateful for that...but I just wish things could have turned out differently for Phillipe and Pierre..."

"I know, but you can also see that things also worked out for the best- Mia is now Queen, Pierre is back in the fold of the family and we're together... albeit, Phillipe is missing but he will always be around, especially in Pierre and Mia and in your heart."

"True," Clarisse lightly brushed the stray tears away with one hand before she slowly eased herself up as Joseph did the same beside her, albeit a little more stiffly. "I will always miss him but he is still around in the ways you said...and I will never forget him, not when I've got so many good (and mischievious) memories of him."

"Just don't forget to tell Mia some of them," he said softly as they walked back to the car. "I know it might be painful, but she deserves to know."

"She will," she gave him a determined look before she climbed into the car. "She will."


	8. Clarisse Opens Up

_A/N: Finally back in the groove... only a short chapter, but this is the beginning of a better relationship between Mia and Clarisse!_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!_

"Grandma!" Mia looked startled when she looked up and saw her grandmother strolling into her study. "I thought you were visiting the cemetery!"

"We just got back and I thought I would see what you were up to," Clarisse replied easily as she sat down in a chair opposite Mia's desk.

"That's very nice of you... but where's Joe?" Mia looked past her to the door, as if she expected to see Joe to be walking in, following his wife into the room. "We've all gotten so used to seeing you joined at the hip, it's a little strange seeing you apart!" she teased as she tried to discreetly shove the folder containing the plans for the party underneath the paperwork she had been perusing before she had been distracted by the realization that the party was less than a week away and Mia wanted everything to be perfect for her grandmother.

"You really are your grandmother's granddaughter," Pierre had teased when Mia had emphasized the importance of everything falling into place for the party.

It wasn't until she realized that Clarisse was gazing at her expectantly that Mia discovered that she had missed what her grandmother had said.

"I'm sorry Grandma, I was just a little distracted there for a moment... you were saying?"

"I was saying that you are quite a smart little madam AND that Joseph has gone to see Scott for a little while... Is this a bad time?Are you busy?"

Clarisse had noticed that Mia had been shuffling papers around on her desk and she wondered whether her 'spontaneous visit' had been such a good idea.

"No, no, it's fine," Mia said hastily. "I had a few papers that I needed to go over before my meeting with Sebastian but I do have a few minutes to chat... although..." her eyes began to sparkle mischieviously. "I do believe that a certain former Queen told me that Queens don't have time to chat."

"I never said that!' Clarisse protested. "Knowing the art of small talk is a very important part of a Queen's repitoire and..." before she trailed off, realizing that Mia was roaring with laughter at her reaction. "Are you still sassing your Grandma?" she asked in mock indignation.

"I know I shouldn't, but I just couldn't resist," Mia giggled and Clarisse couldn't help but chuckle along with her.

"Am I that easy a target?" she teased back.

"I never said that!" Mia looked shocked before she realized it was her turn to be surprised.

"I know that dear, but you're not the only one who sassed me over the years... both Pierre and your father were just as bad, your father especially."

"Really?" Mia's face suddenly softened at the suddenly mention of her father, but not only because she was gaining knowledge about her father she hadn't known very well but also because she knew how difficult it was for Clarisse to speak about her youngest son, given the violence and suddeness of his death.

"Really," Clarisse affirmed, not missing the soft expression on her face or the pang of regret she suddenly felt, realizing how much she had denied Phillipe's daughter, but that was going to change now- after that visit to the cemetery, Amelia was going to know much more about her father.

"You know Mia, I haven't been exactly very forthcoming about your father since we...got back in touch."

"I understand," Mia breathed, not daring to say anymore, not wanting her grandmother to clam up.

"Nevertheless, you deserve to know more about your father than I've told you and today, when I was at the cemetery, I decided that I should tell you more about your father- and I will."

There was a slight pause as Mia waited patiently for Clarisse to gather her thoughts.

"Has Pierre ever spoken to you about your father?"

"Yes, several times- he told me that Dad was always quite a prankster and always pinned the pranks and it's consequences back on him."

"Yes he did," Clarisse admitted with a smile. "Poor Pierre, he often got the blame for things he didn't do... but, more often than not, Phillipe got caught himself."

"Pierre said that as well... and he also told me that when he was... banished...from Genovia, you and Dad stood by him and Dad was always visiting him at the seminary...and on one occasion, he told him that even though their father wouldn't speak to him again (or so he threatened), as far as he was concerned, they were still brothers and he wouldn't turn his back on him- EVER," Mia finished in an awed tone and Clarisse's eyes misted over- typical Phillipe, taking an opposing stance to his father, but it was also an indication of the strength of his admiration, love and loyalty to his brother.

"Wow... that just proved, to me, that he would have made a great King."

"Indeed he would have," Clarisse agreed vaguely before she mentally shook the mood off and turned her direct blue eyes to Mia. "But you are going to make an excellent Queen."

"Thank you," Mia blushed- there were still times when she didn't believe that herself, but it made her feel better to know that her grandmother believed in her.

"Anyway," Clarisse began, emboldened by what she had heard. "Your father was a wonderful man- not without his faults, of course, he had a fairly short temper, he liked to skylark and pull pranks more often than I liked; and he was rather disorganized- but he was also kind, generous and compassionate towards those he cared about, which included Genovia."

Mia was almost frozen in her seat, not daring to utter a question or a word- she had learned a great deal about her father from Pierre, Charlotte, Joe, some of the palace staff, Sebastian, some of the members of parliament and he rmother, but the best person to hear more about him, learn more about his personality and who he was, was his mother.

"I remember..." Clarisse's expression lightened as she began to chuckle to herself. "...I remember the time, on his tenth birthday, when he let some of the animals out of the zoo that we had had brought to the palace... luckily we found most of them in time, although there was a very close call with a snake..."

"What did Dad do when he was caught?"

"He didn't deny that he had let the animals loose- in fact, he was quite proud and told quite a few people about it in the ensuing days, even insinuating to some of the maids that there could have been a mouse or two that were still on the loose..."

"Did he get into trouble?"

"Yes, he most certainly did- he was grounded for three weeks, but it didn't stop him from causing all sorts of mischief even when he was grounded!"

"Oh, I so wish he could have taught me some of his tricks!" Mia was almost gasping with laughter and Clarisse felt a strong surge of pleasure as she watched Mia try and calm down- she should have done this a long time ago... Mia deserved to know everything about her father- at the moment, he was a distant figure who had sent her birthday and Christmas presents, but Clarisse was determined that she would know what he was all about, from the person who knew him best.

"Can you tell me some other stories about Dad's pranks?" Mia suddenly asked, sounding timid.

"Of course... and I'm sorry for not telling you about this a lot earlier."

"That's alright, I understand."

"Really?" It was Clarisse's turn to sound timid.

"Of course," Mia gave her a compassionate look, very reminiscent of Phillipe, much to Clarisse's delight, and it was a look that gave her more maturity than she had expected- before she glanced at her watch.

"Much as I would love to stay and listen to some more stories, I realy need to get going- I'm meeting Sebastian in the library," Mia explained as she stood up and gathered her necessary papers and books while Clarisse stood up and watched her.

"That's fine, I really should go and find Joseph."

"Hopefully it won't be too long a meeting," Mia continued as she walked across the room before she paused and turned to look at Clarisse. "Maybe, this evening... you could share some more memories?"

"I'd love to," Clarisse smiled before she was suddenly surprised by Mia bounding over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "What was that for?"

"Thank you- I know it's not easy for you to talk about Dad," but before Clarisse could respond, she spun on her heel and dashed out the door, a muffled "Hi Joe!" letting Clarisse know her husband nearby- seconds later, he stepped into the room.

"How did it go?" he asked and Clarisse laughed as she walked towards him. "You needn't act so innocent, my love, you were hovering in the doorway, listening, so you can't pretend you didn't hear what we were talking about!"

"I only heard the last part!" he protested hotly. "But I'm proud of you," he said as he kissed the top of her head lightly and reached for her hand.

"Proud of me?" she wrinkled her nose in bewilderment. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did," he turned her to face him. "You're telling Mia about her father... you're finally letting go of your pain over Phillipe's loss and letting Mia know all about him... and I'm proud of you."

"It was nothing..."

"It wasn't nothing, my darling, and we both know it," he stopped again and tilted her chin so that she was looking up at him. "It wasn't easy for you to open up about possibly one of the most difficult times of your life...not that Phillipe was difficult, but remembering him, knowing how his life ended, would be painful...and it was important for you to let go of some of that pain."

"It felt good to open up to Mia... you know all about it, but it felt good to talk to Mia about it," she said reflectively.

"That's what I'm pleased about... and secondly, you are helping a young woman learn more about the father she didn't know very well, and that's something very important to both of you."

"I'm glad I did it... you know," she said after a moment as they strolled towards the door hand in hand. "I think, for the first time in years, I'm actually looking forward to my birthday."

"That's very good news indeed," he said calmly as he followed her out the door, a small smile playing on his lips.


	9. Mia's 21st

_A/N: Almost there, and now all we have is the birthday... I wonder how surprised Clarisse is going to be!_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!  
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

The remaining few days leading up to Clarisse's birthday party (Mia delighted that Clarisse's party would occur on her actual birthday) flew by too quickly and Mia was a little flustered when she returned from England and realized that the party was less than two days away.

"Relax Mia," Pierre said calmly when he discovered his niece's nervousness as the foursome met up for one final meeting to finalize details, Clarisse out and having lunch with Sheila and Sebastian. "Everything will be alright- it's all organized and all we have to do to set up on the day," he added but he was touched at how concerned Mia was about getting this party right for her grandmother- it showed that she cared and he was sure that his mother, after the intial surprise, would appreciate it.

"There's something I overlooked," Mia said pensively, doodling on a piece of paper in front of her. "How are we going to distract her while we're setting up?"

"Well, it will be her birthday, so she should be distracted," Joseph said with a chuckle.

"We could lock her in her suite," Mia said with a grin, dissolving into giggles as the others rolled their eyes.

"Joe or I could take her out to lunch," Pierre suggested. "Whatever we do, Joe will have to be involved- Mother won't want to celebrate her birthday without him...officially, this is the first birthday they've been able to celebrate as a married couple."

"Aww, that is so sweet," Mia sounded like a teenager for a moment as Pierre and Joe shook their heads in disbelief- there were times when Mia acted younger than her years. "What's up, Char?" Mia continued, seeing that Charlotte was frowning.

"I just remembered... Lady Palimore called a couple of days ago, wanting to have lunch with Her Majesty... she's the chair of the Art Gallery board and I think she wanted to see if Her Majesty would join the board...that, and the fact they are good friends...that may be a good excuse for leaving the palace; and then, when she returns, we'll keep the ballroom doors shut so that she can't see inside."

"Good thinking Charlotte!" Mia said in approval before turning to Joe. "Have you thought of an excuse to get her down to the ballroom?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said gravely but his eyes were twinkling teasingly at her. "I've already got that figured out, so you don't need to worry."

"Good," Mia sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Whew! I never knew it was THIS difficult to plan a party- and this is a small one! What am I going to do with major balls and parties?"

"You'll manage, my dear," Pierre teased gently. "You'll learn on the job, you'll have a good assistant and I assume Mother will be happy to help!"

"I don't know how she managed to run a country and organize balls... like, how did she plan my 21st?"

"With great ease- and she was especially looking forward to seeing your reaction to it," Joseph said calmly, thinking back to that party, only 3 months earlier...

0000000

Clarisse hadn't been able to make it over to San Francisco for Mia's graduation from college- parliament was starting to get restless and unsure about Mia becoming Queen and thus making noises as such and she wanted to make sure everything was ready for Mia's party- but Joseph reassured her that Mia would understand.

"You were there for her high school graduation and her 18th birthday, so I'm sure she will understand," he reassured her as they strolled around the garden, an hour before she had to step into another meeting and he had to leave for the airport. It was the only chance they would have to spend a few moments alone until Joseph returned, and possibly until after even Mia's birthday party.

"Really?"

"Really?" he affirmed, reaching out to touch her cheek gently- now that they were in the privacy of the garden, he felt comfortable enough to touch her. "Don't let parliament get you down."

"I won't," she looked determined. "We are so close to Mia ascending the throne, I'm not going to let them get in the way now!"

"That's my girl!" he teased and her expression softened.

"I should reprimand you for that comment- I'm not a girl and it sounded a little condescending- but I'm not," she finished with a smile. "Because... because I'm going to miss you."

"Even though I'm only going to be gone four days?" he teased.

"Even then," she blushed.

"I'm going to miss you took," he said and then there was a long moment between them, eyes holding the other's until Joseph silently moved closer to her, tilted Clarisse's chin up and, reading permission in her eyes, kissed her softly on the lips.

Afterwards, as Clarisse turned away to examine a bush of roses (and regain her composure), Joe couldn't help but allow himself a small smile- little did she know or suspect, but once Mia was back in Genovia and her 21st birthday all over and done with, he was planning on asking Clarisse to become his wife...

0

Mia's graduation went off well (as did the pre graduation party the evening before) and while Mia was a little disappointed that Clarisse hadn't come, she had also understood the difficulties that she was undergoing at home.

"She did want to be here,"Joseph ensured that she knew that, especially once the ceremony was over.  
"I know, Joe, and it means a lot to me that you're emphasizing that point strongly, but she did come to my high school graduation so I can't complain... and I do understand her reasons- she also has a country to run and parliament being the way they are... I just wish they weren't going to be at my birthday party, though..."

"I agree with you, Princess, but it's tradition- all current members of parliament are invited to all palace functions and they are given the opportunity to dance with the Queen and the heir to the throne- which is you, in this case."

"Sometimes I really hate tradition," Mia murmured to herself as she gazed sadly out the window and realized they were at the airport- as a member of a royal family, she didn't need to pass through customs, something she enjoyed on occasion- and realized that, from this moment on, the United States wouldn't be her permanent home again but, rather, Genovia would be, and she suddenly, almost inexplicably felt depressed.

"Princess?" he had noticed her downcast expression on the rear view mirror.

"Yes Joe?" she looked back at him.

"We- all who really matter- have faith in you... and she won't walk away and leave you to deal with this all on your own."

"Thank you, it's nice to know that," she looked slightly brighter and suddenly felt a twinge of excitement about returning to Genovia and seeing her grandmother again.

0

The reunion between grandmother and granddaughter was a warm, albiet a slightly awkward one, with Clarisse being between meetings and Mia feeling the affects of her graduation celebrations and jet lag.

However, she couldn't miss the genuine delight and love in Clarisse's expression, or the easy way she embraced her upon arrival.

"I'm truly sorry I missed your graduation, my dear," she said apologetically as they walked towards Clarisse's suite, where Mia would be staying "until Rupert's cousin finally sorts himself out," according to Clarisse.

"It's alright, Grandma, I understand."

"You do?" Clarisse didn't mean to sound surprised.

"Of course," Mia paused to look wisely at her surprised grandmother. "You have your priorities and, at the top of the list, should be Genovia."

"True- but, as a grandmother, YOU are my top priority and always will be," Clarisse reached over and squeezed Mia's hand. "As your grandmother and your Queen, I will always protect you," she said solemnly and Mia suddenly appreciated everything her grandmother and father had done for her over the past twenty one years, protecting her to the extent that they had left her alone for the first sixteen years so she could have a normal life... they had done that for her.

"Thank you," Mia said simply before, overcome but her recent revelations, she hugged the older woman.

0

The guests began arriving early the following evening- so early that Clarisse and Mia weren't completely ready.

"Do they always do that?" Mia asked as she peered out from behind a curtain, watching a well dressed couple alight from a car below.

"Yes, always," Clarisse said calmly as she finished fastening her jewellery and Olivia handed her her gloves. "And it has never ceased to annoy me that they feel the necessity to come as early as possible... I have been tempted on many occasions to insist the doors be locked until the said time," she added as Mia turned back, eyes wide, and spied the small smile on her lips.

"However, you may be able to think of a different way of convincing them to come a little later in the evening."

"I'll definitely have fun trying!" Mia beamed.

"Don't be too long," Clarisse reminded her after examining her reflection in the mirror for a moment- she was hoping to see Joseph for a few moments before her entrance- she hadn't seen him since he had returned the day before and she missed him.

"I won't," Mia promised solemnly- this was an occasion where she HAD to be on time and ready to impress all the members of parliament, especially when dancing with them and she would do so... even if it was HER 21st birthday party...

0

Three hours into the party, Joseph looked around and surveyed the scene- all seemed to be going well and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Mia had finally finished dancing with all the members of parliament (as well as a handsome stranger and 12 year old Prince Jacques) and was now having some well deserved time with some of her friends, which was something she needed, considering what she was going to face, and while he was concerned for her, he also knew she was capable of fulfilling her destiny.

Her grandmother, on the other hand, was still circling the room, pausing to chat with guests, occasionally accepting a dance from a parliamentarian but mostly staying on the edges, observing just like he was, and he was about to move over and suggest that they disappear outside before Mia stepped in front of him.

"Hi Joe... I know this probably isn't something that would be allowed but... would you care for a dance?"

"I would love to, Your Highness," he bowed low to her before he led her out onto the dance floor, seeing Clarisse pausing in conversation to watch them with a smile.. "I wouldn't worry about protocol, Princess," he continued once they had settled into a rhythm and they ignored they stares they were attracting. "It's your birthday party and you have the right to do whatever you want... within reason," he added hastily as her eyes began twinkling.

"You sounded just like Grandma then," she pouted playfully.

"Well, I do work for her and we've been spending a lot of time together, so it's natural that I have picked up some of her mannerisms and sayings."

"What has she picked up from you?"

"I wouldn't know... you would have to ask her that," he said calmly and she laughed.

"You're being coy!"

"Merely being a gentleman," he said with a blank look before giving her a smile.

It was one of the more enjoyable dances Mia had enjoyed during the evening, and she told him so once the dance had ended.

"It was my pleasure, Princess..." he bowed to her again before Mia glided away to join her friends and Joseph slowly moved back to the side of the room, hoping not to be pulled into another dance.

He had just made it to the door leading out into the gardens, and was turning to face the room, when he felt a gentle tug on his tuxedo jacket and he felt himself being pulled out into the darkness.

"What the...?" he sputtered before the sound of laughter caught his attention and he realized that Clarisse had pulled him out into the darkness. "Your Majesty!"

"I couldn't risk you being pulled into another dance," she teased before they moved out towards the light illuminating the garden. "I'm glad you danced with her, Joseph."

"As if I could deny Mia anything... she's your granddaughter and my future monarch!"

0000000

"So, what happened after that?" Mia leaned forward in her chair- she hadn't heard this perspective of her birthday (although her grandmother had slipped into her suite long after Mia had retired) and she was curious... was this the night Joseph had proposed?

"Nothing much," Joseph shrugged casually as he stood up. "We went for a walk and then retired for the evening..."

"Joe..."

"I have to be going, your grandmother will be returning from lunch soon and we don't want her to find out about this, do we?" he grinned wickedly at her as he walked towards the door.

"Joe..."

"Princess, I just have one thing to say to you," he turned in the doorway to grin at Mia, Charlotte and Pierre.

"What?"

"Ask your grandmother!"


	10. A Private Moment

_A/N: One more chapter to go- and it's a fun one- but never fear, should have another story up soon!_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

On the evening before Clarisse's birthday, Mia couldn't help but feel excited- this time tomorrow, her grandmother would hopefully be enjoying her party- as well as pleased with herself as she still didn't suspect a thing! Mia had thought that Charlotte or even Joe would have let the cat out of the bag but they had thankfully remained strong and now all there was left to do was set up the ballroom the following morning while Clarisse was out of the palace.

In the meantime, Mia had to keep her excitement to herself, a task made slightly difficult as they were all spending the evening together- a common occurrence since the coronation- with the Motezes also present.

They had just moved from the dining room to the library, tea having just been served, when Clarisse sighed contentedly and then spoke up:

"You know Mia, I wish you had organized a party fro my birthday- I don't think I would have minded," but while she took another sip of tea, she was blissfully unaware of the fact of the room (including the Motezes, who were in on the surprise) froze for a moment before Mia (who had almost choked on her tea) recovered quickly enough to say, albiet a little awkwardly:

"Oh really, Grandma? What made you change your mind?"

"I just realized that now I'm retired, I don't necessaryily have to invite everyone in Genovia... I could have had a simple dinner party with some of my closes friends..." she sounded momentarily regretful before she brightened. "However, I do have my son, granddaughter and new husband this year, so I'll be happy to have a quiet day."

"Maybe we could do it next year," Joseph said calmly as Mia turned away to hide her giggles- she had never imagined her grandmother regretting any decision she had made- before turning back at Joe's "Right Mia?"

"Of course, I'd love to do it- any excuse to have a party!" she quipped jokingly, giggling at the expression on Clarisse's face. "Only kidding, Grandma... but seriously, if you want a party next year, you'll have it."

"And it will be an occasion to remember!" Piere chimed in, causing his mother to blush deeply, before she chose to change the subject.

0

"I thought you didn't want a party," Joseph said softly much later as they undressed in the privacy of their bedroom.

"I didn't... I don't," Clarisse amended as she returned to the bedroom in one of her laciest nightgowns- since their wedding, she had reinvigorated her wardrobe, including nightwear as before, she had stuck to classic, elegant yet boring clothing, but now she was looking forward to wearing more feminine and fun outfits- and that included lingerie.

"I was just thinking that, like I said before, now that my life is my own, I may be able to enjoy a private life with some private parties... not too many as I am more than a little sick of socializing... besides, I think I disappointed Mia by not allowing her to plan a party this year."

"No you didn't, she quite understood," he responded as he followed her into bed, again admiring her nightgown- she had always dressed so beautifully, but she had admitted only weeks earlier that she was now free enough and had the desire to wear more daring outfits- especially nightwear.

"I'd love you no matter what you wear, but I have to admit..." he had given her an appreciative up and down gaze, causing her to blush deeply. "...these nightgowns you wear now are quite... sexy."

"Sexy?" she had sounded coy but also with a twinge of delight in her voice- she was pleased that he had noticed and complimented her on the change. "Are you sure a woman my age should be wearing clothes like this?"

"Definitely, if you wish," he had moved closer to her and nuzzled her neck. "As my wife, you should be comfortable with whatever you wear, no matter what you think... but I think you look amazing."

"So," he brought her back to the present as he switched off his light and lay back on his pillows. "Aside from the lunch with Helene Palimore, was there anything else you wanted to do on your day of days?"

"I am just happy to spend the day with you," she snuggled closer to him. "And Mia and Pierre as well, if they have the time."

"Of course they'll have time... I'm just glad I am able to be here and celebrate with you... officially," he added as he sensed she was about to protest. "I know we've managed to spend other birthdays together..."

"But this year is different because we don't have to sneak around, we can celebrate as husband and wife," she finished softly. "I like that... maybe we could have the day to ourselves," she ran a finger playfully down the front of his pyjama shirt.

"That sounds like a nice idea, my dear, and I would enjoy it but we both know that you would prefer to include Mia and Pierre in your day."

"Maybe not," but she was unconvincing and knew that Joseph was right- after several years of not being able to celebrate with her family, she wasn't going to miss the first opportunity to celebrate with them. "You're right," she said after a moment. "I would much prefer to have Pierre and Mia included."

"Good," before he leaned over and kissed her lightly. "Now, we'd better get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a big day..." he said easily, suddenly wishing he hadn't said the last few words but, thankfully, she sounded half asleep when she answered him after a moment.

"Mmmmm... good night Joseph."

"Good night sweetheart," he replied, glad that it was dark as he turned onto his side, grinning to himself- only one more day and, after all the weeks of planning and secrecy and Clarisse was going to, hopefully, be very, very surprised.

000

The next morning Clarisse awoke and, seconds later, upon realizing it was her birthday, a day she had secretly dreaded for years due to the ill thought out birthday balls Rupert had organized in her honour, suddenly felt depressed- it was another day, another birthday she would be working, alone, hunched over her desk- before she felt movement from beside her and, suddenly her perception changed completely as she remembered that she was now leading a new life...

THIS birthday was going to be completely different to her previous birthdays- she was now married to the love of her life, her son and granddaughter were now permanently back in her life, Amelia was now Queen and Clarisse herself was now retired so she could now enjoy her 'big day', as Mia had once referred to it, for once in her life...hopefully she would be able to enjoy it for many years to come...

Clarisse stretched, pretending to stir (she knew that Joseph, as per his habit since their wedding, had taken to watching her sleep in the mornings), when she felt him move beside her and wrap an arm around her waist.

"Good morning... and happy birthday, my darling," he murmured into her ear. "You needn't pretend you're just waking up, I know you've been awake for a little while."

"Should I ask how did you know?" she queried as she rolled over to face him. "Or should I just surmise that, as usual, you were watching me sleep... and that you know me very, very well?"

"Guilty as charged... and after so many years of being your bodyguard, I SHOULD know you," he replied as he reached over and caressed her cheek. "Again, happy birthday my dear wife," he added before he leaned over and kissed her. "I love being able to do that."

"I love it too," Clarisse responded with a dreamy smile before he leaned over and kissed her again and again and again...

"That was definitely a lovely way of beginning my day," she almost purred much later. "It's certainly been the best start in a long time!"

"I'm glad," Joe replied before he slid out of bed, slipped on his robe and disappeared toward the door leading into the living room.

"Where..." she began but her questions was answered before she could finish it, but Joseph returning with a breakfast try.

"Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl!" he said cheerfully as he set the tray down on her table and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm hardly a girl, Joseph!"

"To me, you are... _my_ girl!"

"Oh...so if I'm a girl... what would you call Mia or Charlotte?" Clarissed teased, arching an inquiring eyebrow.

"They're girls too... or, rather, young women but you are a girl!"

"I could disagree with that... I'm older than either of them!"

"But you won't," he gave her a pentrating look, a look that usually set her heart racing and the best of intentions disintegrating in a muddled mess in her mind. "We both know that you like the endearment..."

"Oh yes, particularly me being your girl... it sounds strangely old fashioned and possessive... but I like it."

"I like it too," he reached out and caressed her cheek and they shared a long moment before he reached into his robe pocket and brought out a long, flat jewellery box. "I was going to put this on the tray, but there wasn't any room...for you," he handed it to her simply and she smiled, her cheeks feeling hot as she realized he was watching her.

"Thank you, darling, you know you didn't have to get anything for me... you are my present," she said sweetly, leaning over and kissing him.

"You would say that, but I wanted to get you something, you are my wife... although this may not be your only gift..." he trailed off significantly and she looked at him quizzically for a moment, trying to understand what he meant, before curiosity got the better of her and she slowly opened the jewel box, gasping when she saw the spectacular yet simple silver sapphire necklace sitting in front of her. "You didn't..."

"I did," he affirmed. "You like it?" He knew that she had worn jewels like this before but she made it clear that she enjoyed the simple things- he hoped that the necklace wasn't too rich, but he wanted to get her something very, very special.

"I... I... I love it," she said tearfully, gazing up at him for a moment before glancing back at the necklace for a moment before throwing his arms around him. "Oh darling, I love it and I love you... and I hope you don't have anything else planned..."

"You're just going to have to wait and see," he smiled enigmatically as she leaned back on her pillows, trying to recover from the surprise. At his words, however, she looked up at him.

"Joseph..."

"I'm not saying anything more..."

"Joseph..."

"You're just going to have to wait and see," he said simply and she had to beam at him- he truly was a wonderful man and she was so lucky to have him! She couldn't wait to see what else he had planned for her birthday!


	11. Surprise! Part One

_A/N: Had to split into two chapters as this was such a fun one to write! Here's hoping that Clarisse is surprised (in a good way) in the next chapter!_

_Thank you to all my readers and reviewers!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

When Clarisse and Joseph finally made it into the living room for a belated breakfast, Clarisse paused in the threshold and gasped as she gazed around the room- almost every available surface was covered with flowers, the biggest arrangement sitting on her desk. In past years, this had been a usual occurrence on her birthday, receiving flowers from other heads of state, parliamentarians and some ambassdors (and she had also received them as the wife of the King) but now that Mia was Queen, Clarisse had thought that those days were over (and, while she would have appreciated the gestures, she was glad that had passed on to Mia, but today had proved otherwise.

"What?" Joseph looked at her in concern.

"All these flowers and telegrams..." she waved at what was obviously a pile of telegrams sitting beside the largest flower arrangment. "I'm no longer Queen..."

"Then you must have many, many admirers- if I didn't know any better, I would be jealous," Joe joked.

"You know you don't need to be," his wife replied soothingly as she moved towards her desk, curious to see who had sent the enormous arrangment, and wasn't totally surprised when she discovered that they were from Mia, Joseph, Charlotte and Pierre.

"Thank you again," she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Hopefully that's it from you?"

"Again, you're welcome... and again you're just going to have to wait and see... why don't you see who else you got flowers from?" he suggested.

As it turned out, she still received her usual bouquets from the Heads of State who had sent them over the years ("You're still respected and admired even though you're no longer Queen," was Joe's commentary as he viewed the cards after her) but, more importantly, her nearest and dearest friends and family had ensured that they had remembered and Joseph could see that she was very, very touched as they sat down to breakfast.

"Never realized how much you were admired?" he teased and she blushed.

"No, I... it's still rather unexpected..." she stammered.

"But it's nice to know that you're appreciated and always will be- and I'm glad of it," he reached over and squeezed her hand.

They had just finished breakfast when there was a gentle knock on the door and, when bidden to do so, in stepped Priscilla and Olivia, Clarisse's ladies maids (Joseph had flatly refused a valet, insisting he could "make do" on his own).

"We're sorry to disturb, Your Majesty, but we not only wanted to wish you a happy birthday..."

"Thank you, and I do appreciate the bouquet of flowers I received from you two this morning," Clarisse smiled warmly.

"It was out pleasure," both young women curtseyed. "But we also wanted to let you know that Her Majesty and His Highness... "" (it pleased Clarisse no end that the palace staff referred to Pierre as His Highness, although he would soon be Father) "...are here to extend their congratulations."

"They CAN come in," Clarisse said in a louder voice and there was a brief kerfuffle in the doorway as the two groups of people met, before Mia and Pierre entered the room, both carrying gift wrapped packages.

"Happy birthday!" they both chorused as soon as they spied Clarisse, and Clarisse herself stood up as soon as she saw them.

"Thank you both so much, my darlings, but you DO know that, to me, you are my birthday presents."

"Really?" Pierre looked amazingly young and like Phillipe for a moment as he said that, and she didn't hesitate to walk forward and enclose him in her arms.

"Really," she affirmed softly into his ear. "It's been quite a few years since I've been able to celebrate my birthday with my eldest son- I'm just sorry that it's taken so long for this to happen."

"There's nothing to apologize for,"Pierre said quickly, hearing the note of regret in his mother's voice and hugging her even tighter. "I have never had a problem with you."

"Still, with your father..."

"Never mind that, that's all in the past..." before he pulled away so that Clarisse could hug Mia.

While the two of them gave separate gifts (which Clarisse loved)- Pierre gave a bottle of her favourite perfume and silver photo frame ("perfect for a wedding picture of you and Joe or a one of your only grandchild," Mia had joked); Mia had given her a brand new, latest fashion handbag and recent release book from one of her favourite authors- together they had compiled an album of Phillipe, Pierre and their mother over the years, including a few of Rupert but it was mainly about Clarisse and her sons.

Clarisse was momentarily speechless as she sat down heavily in her chair, tears welling in her eyes as she flipped through the pages, Joseph looking over her shoulder.

"Oh my," she kept saying over and over, pausing occasionally to wipe away a tear, and once she had gone through it once, she set it down on the table and looked back at Pierre and Mia, reaching out for their hands.

"No words can express what this means to me, but even if I could..." she paused, choking back tears- she didn't need to cry on her birthday. "...Even if I could, I don't think I could be eloquent enough to tell you how I feel... although," she paused again, a small smile playing on her lips. "I AM surprised that you managed to keep this from me, particularly as some of these pictures are kept in albums in my suite... but kudos for keeping it a secret."

_If only you knew, _Pierre and Mia both thought, exchanging a sly smirk before Mia changed the subject, inquiring as to when Helene Palimore was coming to collect Clarisse for their lunch.

0

Once Clarisse had left the palace at noon with Helene and two bodyguards (she had wanted Joe to accompany them, but once it turned out that Lord Palimore wasn't going to be present, Mia hinted that it could be a good chance for them to have some 'girl time' ('Girl time?" Clarisse had wrinkled her nose in distaste at that), Joseph had opted to stay at the palace with the others), Mia and her co conspirators ate lunch together hastily before moving into the ballroom to observe the setting up- Mia surmised that they would have two or three hours at best before Clarisse had returned.

While they had initially thought that they could have set up while Clarisse was in the palace, Mia had been right to wait- while Clarisse and Joe had spent their morning in the garden, they had drifted in and out of the palace, particularly at times when staff could have been moving furniture- but now that she was gone, they could set up properly.

"Has she said anything about what she wants to do tonight?" Mia asked once everything was set up and she and Joe were closing the doors to the ballroom- the ballroom looked fantastic, with flowers everywhere (they had all agreed from the beginning that flowers had to be an important feature in decorating for Clarisse's party), the floors had been cleaned and tables had been set up for the finger foods that would be served, one table set aside especially for the cake.

"She did ask whether we were having dinner alone or with you all tonight, but I think she's been happy to let things go with the flow..."

"That doesn't sound like Mother," Pierre joked. "Still, would she have preferred to have dinner with only you if..."

"Oh no, she was emphatic that you and Mia- as well as Nicholas and Charlotte- were to be included...I don't know whether you realize how important this birthday is to her, given that you are both here now."

"Oh, we both know that," Pierre said quickly, exchanging a look with an eager Mia. "Long before this morning, we knew that this was a special birthday... but this is also your first one as a married couple."

"True, but whatever your mother wants, I want- and since she wanted you present, I have no complaints."

"I still can't believe that neither your nor Charlotte let the cat out of the bag," Mia giggled and Joseph mock glared at her.

"It may be difficult to believe, Your Majesty, but I do have some tricks when distracting your grandmother..."

"Oh yes, Joseph? What may they be?" Pierre's eyes were twinkling mischieviously.

"Never you mind... they're my tricks and I'm not sharing them with anyone..."

"Oh? And what may they be?" they heard from behind Joseph and he whirled around to see Clarisse standing there, looking amused. "Joseph, my dear, what tricks do you have to distract me- I assume it would have to be me?"

"Well... I... I..." he stammered, looking unusually flustered as he tried to think of an exuse Pierre, Charlotte and Mia tried to hide their laughter, before Clarisse reached out and caressed his cheek.

"I was only joking, darling... I know you have tricks that you've tried to use on me... how do you think I developed my own set of tricks?" she teased and Joseph visibly relaxed- for a moment, he thought he had let the cat out of the bag, or she had tried to find out what they were talking about but, thankfully, she was blissfully unaware of what was going on.

"So," she continued, looking around the group. "What have you been up to this afternoon while I was gone?"

"Nothing much," Mia shrugged casually. "I have been working and the others have been doing whatever they do...and we just accidentally met up here... how was your afternoon?"

"Splendid," Clarisse looked pleased. "Helene and I haven't had the chance to catch up like we did today in a long time and we've made a promise that we will do it again soon... maybe you and James Palimore could do something together too," she leaned into her husband with a smile and Joseph shrugged, not necessarily looking pleased but not wanting to hurt his wife's feelings.

"Maybe, we'll have to see..."

"But anyway, we had a good lunch and browsed through the art gallery before we came back here... anyway, I have been meaning to ask, what ARE we doing tonight? I assume that Joseph has told you that I would like to spend the evening with you as well?" she looked at Pierre and Mia pointedly and Pierre grinned.

"Of course, Mother, there's no where else we would rather be...and we figured that we might as well have dinner down here, and maybe invite the Motezes."

"Good," she nodded, satisfied. "That will definitely make my birthday..." and she turned to walk towards the stairs, missing the satisfied expressions the others were sharing.

0

The rest of the afternoon flew by- Clarisse and Joseph spent a lazy afternoon watching a film (another small present from Joseph, much to her protests)- but by the time the hour of guests beginning to arrive approached, Joseph began feeling a little nervous- thankfully, Clarisse's suite was at the back of the palace, so she couldn't hear the cars on the driveway and everyone knew that they had to be careful when coming into the palace, but he was still fearful that she would hear something.

"Is something wrong?" Clarisse asked as she emerged from the bathroom in her robe- she had yet to decide what she was going to wear, but she was more curious about why Joseph was so antsy.- he was already dressed in his tuxedo and, unusually, he was pacing the bedroom, looking at his watch several times.

"What... no, I'm fine, I'm fine," he said as he turned to her. "I just wanted to make sure that we're on time for dinner downstairs."

"It's my birthday, my darling and I AM a former Queen- remember the saying..."

"Queens are never late, everyone else is early," he receited from memory.

"Exactly," she nodded before she turned towards her dressing room. "Now, I had better see what I'm going to wear..."

"Actually, I have another surprise for you," Joseph began awkwardly and she turned back to him, surprise in her eyes.

"Darling, you don't have to..."

"It's too late, it's been adjusted and bought to suit only you... I know it may seem a little presumptuous, but I saw something a couple of weeks ago and I thought it would suit you perfectly..."

He walked over to his dressing room and returned seconds later with a large, flat box and, she surmised, a shoe box sitting on top of it.

"Really, you didn't have to do this..." she protested as she sat down on the bed and he handed her the bottom box.

"I wanted to... it's the first time I've been able to do this for you openly, and you deserve it," he said simply and there was a pause before she undid the ribbon that held the lid onto the box and opened it.

"Oh Joseph..." she breathed as she brushed away the tissue paper and stared down at the dress lying there- it was of a deep blue colour, made of silk and lace...the box was abandoned as she lifted the dress out of the box and the material rustled slightly as the rest of the dress fell towards the floor. It had a long skirt, a princess neckline with short sleeves and, glancing back in the box, a small wrap to go with it.

"Do you like it?" he asked almost shyly. "I thought it would bring out the colour of your eyes, and I know how you love blue..."

"I love it, darling, I love it very, very much...and I will definitely be wearing it tonight!" she rested the dress carefully on the bed beside her before turning and throwing her arms around him. "I love it and I love you... you have definitely made my birthday one to remember!"

"I'm glad," he held her in his arms for a long moment before he stood and helped her to her feet. "I would like to stay sitting like that all evening, but we do have a date with our family... and I want to see you in that dress!"

"Just a moment..." she paused to look in the shoe box and smiled when she saw the matching royal blue heels sitting in the box. "If you weren't my husband, you would make an excellent shopper!" she teased with a twinkle in her eye before kissing him again and then disappearing into her dressing room with the dress and shoes and Joseph felt a gush of pleasure- she actually liked the outfit and she had liked everything that had happened today... here was hoping that she would like what the rest of the evening had to offer!


	12. Surprise! Part Two

_A/N; FINALLY made it! Sorry about the delay but things got complicated for a little while... another story complete but I've got plans for another one ASAP_

_Thank you to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me_

"Well, what do you think?" Joseph heard ten minutes later as he gazed out the window into the gardens illuminated not only by the lights installed in the garden itself, but also by the lights from the palace- it was a lovely sight and the in-garden lights had been one of Rupert's better ideas and it was an excellent idea from a security view point, not that he had to worry about that anymore...

At the sound of his wife's voice, however, he turned away from the window and felt his jaw drop seconds later as he drank in Clarisse's appearance.

With some assistance from Mia, he had definitely selected the correct dress- it suited her to a T -and the jewellery he had given her only enhanced not only the dress but her blue eyes and fair complexion.

"Do...do you think it suits me?" Clarisse asked, uncertainty in her voice, a moment later when it was clear that Joseph was having trouble responding.

"I think... it looks absolutely perfect..." he finally said, swallowing hard before walking over to kiss her lightly on the cheek, not wanting to destroy the artistry of her make up that she had obviously spent much of the last ten minutes working on. "You look beautiful, my dear... not that you always don't look lovely to me."

"Except in the mornings, when I'm just getting up? No makeup, no jewellery and my hair askew?" she teased.

"Even then, you still look beautiful," he said softly, reaching over and caressing her cheek, the gesture making her blush. "No matter what."

"You're just biased," she pretended to bluster, knowing that they had to be downstairs to meet the others but not wanting the moment to end... for once, she wished that they had the evening to themselves... but it was only a momentary whim, as this was the first birthday in a long time when her remaining family was together.

"Of course... always," he said lightly before he kissed her hand and then slipped it through his arm.

"We had better go downstairs otherwise Mia is going to wonder where we are!"

"Do you think she would send someone up to find us?"

"Maybe..." he teased as they made their way to the door, although he knew that she wouldn't- she, Pierre, Charlotte and Nicholas were all waiting downstairs, Pierre and Mia waiting outside the ballroom while everyone else waited inside. He only hoped that Clarisse would be genuinely surprised and not figure anything out before the doors were opened.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she teased as they strolled down the empty hallway towards the stairs.

"Hmmm?"

"You seem rather distracted...I thought I was meant to be the centre of attention today?" she pouted playfully and he turned to her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Believe me, you still very much are the centre of attention... just wait until after dinner..." he trailed off suggestively and she blushed deeply again, a condition she remained in until they descended the stairs and met Pierre and Mia at the doors of the ballroom, a state of affairs that confused Clarisse.

"I thought... I thought we were having dinner in the dining room?" she waved vaguely in the direction of said room and Mia beamed.

"We thought it would be different if we had it here in the ballroom..."

"For eight of us?" Clarisse sounded surprised before she began to wonder... had they planned something more? Mia was merely grinning, Pierre looked unperturbed and Joseph's expression unreadable (as he always was when he was hidng something) but Clarisse knew that they wouldn't have been able to plan anything right under her nose...

"The others are waiting inside for us, so let's go," Mia said enthusiastically as she opened one of the doors and stepped aside to let Clarisse in, the other three exchanging a grin between them behind her back...

There was a moment's silence in the dark room and Clarisse was again confused... what was going on... before

"SURPRISE!" came from all corners of the room as the lights flashed on and Clarisse found herself surrounded by sixty of her closest friends, some of whom she hadn't seen in years... and even Helene Palimore and her husband were there, she realized as she scanned the room briefly.

"I... I..." she stammered, momentarily speechless as tears filled her eyes- they HAD done it- before she turned to see Mia, Pierre and Joseph all grinning broadly at her. "You didn't... you didn't!"

"We did, Grandmother dearest, and I'm so glad that it's a surprise... Happy birthday, again," she murmured as she swooped in to kiss her stunned grandmother on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

"You deserve it, Mama... happy birthday," Pierre whispered as he followed suit.

"You know how well I can keep a secret, darling," Joseph said casually before added, in a low voice: "It was very hard at times, I can tell you!"

After she had finally recovered and caught her breath, she moved into the crowd to greet her guests but when she felt Joseph slipping away, giving her the opportunity to speak to her friends without him, she turned and slipped her arm through his again, pulling him close to her.

"I know what you're trying to do, but there are quite a few people who haven't met you officially... and, as my husband, you are my escort," she gave him a coy smile and he pretended to look disgruntled, although he couldn't feel any more proud that he was able to be his wife's escort on her special day- it had been a day and an occasion that he had been waiting years for.

0

Clarisse's head was swimming as the evening progressed and she reunited with more and more of her friends, some of whom she hadn't seen in years. When she came around to Helene Palimore, Helene admitted that she had been in on the ruse before adding, hastily, that she had wanted to see Clarisse nevertheless.

"We barely had time to see each other when you were Queen, but now that you're retired, I hope that we can have more lunch dates like that."

"I would love to...and I know you would have wanted to see me anyway..."

Charlotte had been a little nervous when she had finally come across Clarisse, but Clarisse had only laughed and hugged her happily.

"It must have been hard to keep it a secret from me!" she teased.

"A little...particularly when you wanted to see that paperwork that day Mia was still horseriding.

"That's right, you did seem a little nervous, but I forgive you anyway," she said with a broad grin.

After she had finally caught up with all of her friends- and there were already promises of continuing contact after the party- Clarisse stood a little aside from the rest of the party and observed everyone, pleased that they were all having a good time and she was only a little surprised that she too was enjoying herself although, she had to admit to herself, she had been half serious to Mia only days earlier when she had wished that she had allowed the young woman to plan a party...

Over the years, her birthday had been celebrated every year with, it seemed, everyone she ever knew, but this year had been so much more special and the party was definitely more select and private than previous parties- Pierre, Mia, Joseph and Charlotte had done a good job.

"Why are you standing here, by yourself?" came Joseph's voice from beside her before an arm wound around her waist. "I would have thought you would have still been surrounded by your friends."

"I've greeted them all and I'm so happy to see them all... I wish there was more time to catch up with them all..."

"I imagine that most of them are going to insist that contact is kept from now on?"

"Yes... and it has been wonderful to see them all again... thank you so much..." she looked at him with unusually bright eyes and he smiled.

"Isn't it just as well that Mia and Pierre didn't take no for an answer?"

"Yes, and I'm thoroughly glad that they did that...and I'm glad that you and Charlotte helped them out."

"You're not angry that we did this?"

"Why would I be angry?" Clarisse's eyes widened in surprise. "I LOVE that you all thought enough of me to do this...and keep it a secret!"

"Why wouldn't we think enough of you NOT to do this?"

"I don't know..."she lowered her eyes for a moment. "I guess this feeling of inadequacy is a legacy from Rupert."

"Well, I'm definitely looking forward to getting rid of that feeling... you are beautiful, charming, intelligent, sexy...and you definitely deserved this party!"

Before she could respond, however, there was the sound of a clinking glass and they looked towards the middle of the room where Pierre and Mia were standing, grinning and indicating that she should join them, which she did, with Joseph.

"It's hardly orthodox for everyone to give speeches, but on this occasion...Pierre and I both figured we will give one each..._ All I really want to say to Grandma is... thank you for believing in me and never giving up on me, even when things seemed bad for both of us...and I wish you all the happiness in the world in your retirement, which I'm sure you will have in abundance with Joe."_

After she toasted Clarisse with her glass, everyone following suit, Pierre stepped forward, looking nervous but proud.

"_It has been a long time since I've made a speech, although most of you will know that I do make sermons, but I want to simply say to my mother: Happy Birthday. I know life hasn't been easy for you, especially for the past couple of years, but I have always wanted the best for you and I know Joseph will always been the best for you. I am also glad that I'm finally back in Genovia... I know I didn't seem to be fazed whenever I saw you, but I am glad to be home and I'm glad that I'm back in your life... thank you for never giving up on me... I love you..." _he finished in a whisper and Clarisse didn't hesitate to walk forward and embrace him in her arms, murmuring:

"You will always be my first born son and I will NEVER close my arms, heart or life to you... I love you too."

There was a pause afterwards as mother and son pulled themselves together and then Pierre joined Mia on the sidelines before Joseph stepped forward.

"_As Clarisse's husband, there's probably nothing I could say that most of you wouldn't know or suspect from either this evening or from the past, but all I can say is that I love Clarisse more than anything and I know that I'm going to try to the best of my ability to ensure that our life together is going to be the best time of our lives... Happy birthday, my love- I'm sorry we had to keep it a secret from you, but seeing your face tonight has been more than worth the secrecy... To Clarisse!"_

__"To Clarisse!" the rest of the group echoed and they all toasted a blushing Clarisse with their champagne glasses.

Once the cake was cut, again with Clarisse being the centre of attention, Joseph, Pierre and Mia looking on, the music began and Joseph didn't hesitate to sweep her into his arms and onto the dance floor.

"Thank you for this evening... I have had the most wonderful time."

"I'm glad- we were all rather worried that we were pushing your boundaries..."

"Nonsense, it was something you should have done and I'm glad you did it...I'm just curious about one thing- how you managed to keep it from me."

"Believe me, it was difficult to keep it from you... especially for Charlotte...but we somehow managed- and you having lunch with Helene today was a blessing as we were wondering how we could set up the ballroom for the party...But we all can't believe that we managed to get this planned and executed without any awareness from you."

"Actually, darling, there's something I have to tell you..." Clarisse lowered her eyes for a moment.

"Oh?"

"Well... I knew all about this party for a while."

"WHAT?!" he wasn't completely shocked- he should have known that she would have suspected something and worked it out.

"Well, I suspected something after that dinner where you, Charlotte and Mia were huddled together... remember, the one where Mia suggested a party and I declined?"

"Of course."

"Well, knowing Mia as well as I do and knowing how tenacious she is, just like her father, I suspected that she let go far too easily, so I kept my eyes out for any suspicious behaviour- and, believe me, I did see some suspicious behaviour- Charlotte, Mia and Pierre...and then, Olivia accidentally let it slip two weeks ago."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why would I?" she looked at him tenderly. "If you were all willing to go to so much trouble to give me a surprise birthday party, why would I crush all your spirits by announcing that I knew all about it?"

"So you knew when you told Mia that you wouldn't have minded a surprise party a couple of days ago?"

"Yes... I just couldn't resist... But I didn't realize how many people you invited, and how far back into my past that you had gone to find my dearest friends... even then, I wouldn't have said anything because what you all have done... it just shows how much you care, how much you all love me."

"Of course we all care and love you... and we wanted to do this for you... I should have known that you would suspect something."

"I need to ask you to do something for me."

"Anything, birthday girl!"

"Shhhh..." she hushed him, looking around with red cheeks. "Anyway, I don't want you to tell Mia, Pierre or Charlotte that I suspected or knew about tonight... I didn't want to tell you but I suspect you would have figured it out eventually."

"Yes I would have... but no, I won't tell the others...I just want to know that you're enjoying yourself tonight."

"I am," she gave him a wide smile. "I've enjoyed every part of this evening."

"Don't forget, there is still more to come afterwards..."

"Really?" she pretended to look innocent.

"Really," he gave her a significal look before he smiling lovingly at her. "Happy birthday, my darling."

"Thank you... I love you."

"I love you too..."


End file.
